Torn
by KailaGlass
Summary: The world as everyone once knew it is over. Katie-Evelyn is learning that things have changed, and even when she finds the man she grew up with, nothing will ever be the same. Daryl was once her whole world, but that was before. They aren't a couple of kids anymore, now they're just two people trying to survive. Everything has changed...
1. Chapter 1

**This is my new story. Don't worry, IN MY VEINS IS NOT OVER ! I still have so much to do with that story. I am jus waitin on the 3rd season. But, as I promised previously, I am doing a new story. Yes, there is some Merle/OC moments, BUT they are NOT romantic. So don't freak out yall. This is strictly a Daryl/OC story. I cannot wait to see how you guys react to my new character and story line. The reviews are GREATLY appreciated, and I hope to see some of my readers from 'In My Veins'. Let me know what yall think !**

**~Kaila G.**

* * *

_Someone once told me that'a memory will haunt you, but'a dream will fizzle out with time. It's in writin', in fact. In'a letter I keep in my nightstand in my apartment. I wanned to believe that, but I still dreamed of him. Nearly every night. An' the only part of him I had left, had only written to me three times in'a year. I had been gone nearly four years. So, the only part of him I had left ain't contacted me in 'bout three years. Maybe dreams do fizzle out. Jus' like the people you love..._

I remember it clearly. Railey and I had just gotten home from swimming in our apartment pool. The day was hot, and we had found comfort in the cool waters of the swimming pool. I had come to realize that when I first came to Tennessee and began my long schooling. Propping up my feet, I turned on the T.V as Railey plunked down beside me. She propped her feet up beside mine, wiggling her toes. I laughed, but the words coming from the news reporter on the television caught my attention.

"Seems to be a new outbreak of rabies spreading through the country. There have been eight cases so far, and the number seems to be growing. Highly contagious to people through bites. Authorities haven't found any animals that started it yet, so be cautious. Take your animals to the vet, people! Get their shots." The man warned.

"Oh, Jesus." I whispered, grabbing my cell phone.

"Dixie?" Railey asked.

"Yea." I drawed out the word, my country accent thick. I scrolled down to the contact that read 'Mama', and hit the call button. Three rings later, her sweet southern voice rang through my ears.

"Hello?"

"Mama!" I cooed.

"Oh! Baby, how'er you doin'?" Mama's voice was warm and happy.

"I'm fine, Mama. Ya been watchin' the news?" I asked, hoping, that for once, she had.

"Not much, but I know why ya callin'.." She said quietly. "Dixie's fine."

"I figured. I'm jus' worried." I mumbled.

"Her shots are updated. Thing is, ain't no animals been caught with the new rabies strand. Only people. Daddy's been watchin' the horses and cows, everything. Nothin' outta the ordinary." Mama explained.

"No coyotes?" I asked, fearing that could be the cause.

"Not for a long while." She assured. I sighed.

"Jus' make sure Dixie stays in the house at night. Know she likes to wander..." I mumbled.

"Don't worry, honey. We keep her inside, safe an' sound. She sleeps in your bed. Every night."

"Thanks for keepin' her." I said quietly, the guilt flooding through me like a tidal wave.

"Of course, of course. How's school goin'? How's Railey?" My mother asked, her voice back cheerful again. I smiled, despite the guilt still knotted in my stomach.

"School is great. Railey's great." I glanced over at my roommate.

"Hey Mrs. Grace!" Railey yelled.

"Aww, tell her I said hey honey." Mama gushed, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

"She said "Hey honey"." I grinned, and Railey gave me a huge smile.

"Well baby, ya Daddy's here. I'm gonna get to cookin' supper. Keep a watch on the news. Bein' so far away and' all."

"I will Mama. Call me soon?" I asked, hoping to hear from her again soon. I missed her so badly.

"I will tomorrow, dear. I love you." She said sweetly.

"I love you, too. Tell Daddy I said hey." I smiled at the thought of my father. "Tell 'em I love 'em."

"I will. Bye sweetie."

"Bye Mama." I held the phone to my face for a moment, soaking in the sound of her voice, before ending the call.

"It's so great to have you 'round!" Railey grinned. "I love your Mama. Nice to have a piece of home here."

"Who woulda figured a Georgia girl an' a Bama girl, roommates in good ol' Tennessee?" I scoffed, but not at the two of us winding up being roommates. I scoffed because "good ol' Tennessee" was an understatement from hell.

"It's perfect." Railey's eyes twinkled, her words snapping me from my thoughts. "You workin' tonight?"

"Nope. Got the night off. Imma be volunteerin' tonight, though." I replied, flashing a cheesy smile.

"Lucky dog. I gotta work to close." Railey scrunched up her face.

"Ya gonna be there 'til midnight." I teased.

"God, don't I know it!" Railey mumbled. "We need'a new job."

"Go git ready for work! I'll make us dinner." I shooed her toward her bedroom.

"What? Microwave dinner?" Railey taunted me.

"Yea! Quick fix!" I argued playfully. I grabbed two healthy pizza bagel meals from the freezer and popped them in the microwave. Not Mama's home cooked meals, that's for sure. But it was food and it was decent.

* * *

After dinner, Railey and I left the apartment, parting ways. Climbing into my car, I winced at the dull pain in my feet. I had taken up jogging in the early mornings, and my feet weren't grateful. Not to mention, I still danced at least four days out of the week. Shaking my head, I tried to ignore the cramping as I started my car and left the apartment complex. Turning up the radio, I kept my eyes on the road as I drove to the hospital.

Parking in the volunteer parking lot, I yanked my name tag from my middle console and clipped it onto my scrub top. I left my car, locking it before walking quickly across the parking lot. The hospital seemed eerily quiet from the outside. Glancing around, I saw nothing out of the ordinary, except the emptiness. That is, until I walked into the opening sliding doors.

"Callaghan! Room 210!" My volunteer supervisor, Ken, barked orders to me as soon as he saw me walk in the door. I rushed over to the elevator, pressing the 'up' arrow. Glancing around, the hospital seemed to be in complete chaos. _Gonna be a long night_. I thought to myself as the elevator _dinged _and I walked inside. I was alone as the elevator lurched up, stopping on the second floor. The door opened and I rushed out into the hall.

"Kate? Hey! Room-"

"210!" I called to Sarah, the desk receptionist for the second floor.

"Ken's on it tonight!" She warned. I gave her a laugh.

"Good, means he's finally on my level." I grinned, before turning toward my destination. Sarah was still giggling at my words as I walked away. Once I reached room 210, I walked inside nearly running into one of the floor nurses.

"Volunteer?" She asked wearily.

"That's me." I nodded.

"Good. Need you to stay with this patient, help fill out this police report." The nurse thrust a clipboard in my hands.

"Imma volunteer, notta cop." I raised an eyebrow at her demands.

"I know, and I'm sorry." She said impatiently. "Just help the patient with the form. Keep her fever under control. And wear gloves."

"Always." I turned toward the woman lying in the bed. Giving her a smile, I snagged a pair of medical gloves and worked them onto my hands before sitting down in the chair beside her. "Ma'am, how ya doin' tonight?"

"Could be a lot better." She said hoarsely.

"Can ya state ya name?" I asked, prepared to write.

"Ashlynn Baulker." She said quietly, fidgeting in the hospital bed.

"Miss Baulker-" I started.

"Call me Ashlynn." She insisted.

"Ashlynn," I corrected, "jus' tell me what happened."

"I... I was walking home from my sister's house. The streets were crowded, not-not too bad. But plenty of people around. I was just walking... And a man grabbed me and bit me on the shoulder." Ashlynn moved her hospital gown slightly, to show a bandaged shoulder.

"Yea, see ya gotta witness." I mumbled, reading what the police wrote. "Why'd the police not finish this?"

"They had to go chase the guy who bit me. The witness pulled him off of me and the crazy man began attacking others... Now I'm burning up... Could I have some more water?" Ashlynn asked, her eyes looking slightly watery and bloodshot.

"Yea." I set the clipboard down and left the room. I walked down to the nurses station and made her a glass of cold water. Upon entering the room, I handed it over to her. "Slow." I warned. She nodded and drank the water in small sips.

"I think I got that thing. You know, that thing on the news." Ashlynn said surely.

"They'll run some tests on ya an' get ya all fixed up." I assured. "Now, Imma take ya temperature."

"Where are you from?" She asked me, as I moved over by her bed, preparing the machine for use.

"Georgia. Born an' raised." I replied.

"Here for school?" She croaked in question.

"Yea creative writing classes mostly. I only volunteer here." I said, slipping the plastic strip over the tip of the thermometer.

"College and a volunteer. That's a lot." Ashlynn watched me.

"Keeps me busy." I attempted a smile to hide the hurt. I gently stuck the thermometer in her mouth and kept an eye on her. She was still, her eyes closed. When the machine beeped, her eyes opened slowly and she gave me a slight smile. Looking at the reading, my heart dropped. _No way... Shit, shit, shit._ The reading read a hundred and two point six.

"It's bad, isn't it?" She asked in a near whisper.

"Jus'... I'll be back in a sec. Ya fine." I lied, walking out into the hallway. I jogged over to the nurses station, seeing Stephanie, my favorite nurse. "Steph, we gotta problem."

"What?" Steph asked, her voice tired.

"Miss Ashlynn Baulker, room 210. Fever a hundred an' two point six." I explained in a worried rush.

"Oh, God. Another one." Steph's face seemed to drain.

"What? Another what?" I asked, beginning to worry.

"Listen to me, did you use gloves, touch her at all without gloves?" Steph asked.

"No, never. Always use gloves... So it's true? She's got the virus thing." I looked at Steph with concerned eyes.

"Yes, we've gotten a few cases today and they just keep getting crazier. Katie-Evelyn, go home. You aren't prepared to deal with this. Go home. And I don't mean to your apartment." With that, she leaned in and hugged me tight. I watched in shock as she walked away without another word. Looking back toward room 210, I sighed and walked toward the elevator in defeat.

Leaving the hospital doors, I saw two police officers rushing in. The receptionist yelled "Room 210!" And the two officers dashed toward the elevator. Frozen, I just stood there, wondering what the hell was going on. A loud _pop_ made me get moving. Had they just shot her? I decided that I was freaking myself out. I hurried to the parking lot and got into my car. The drive home seemed to last forever.

I stayed up late that night. Flipping through the channels, all I seemed to see was the news. News, news, news. All the same thing. Flipping the channel again, my eyes caught a number. _Fifty-two cases? But... Didn't the news jus' say this evenin' they only had eight so far? _My mind pondered over the question. Trying to shrug it off, I flipped the channel yet again, seeing that one of my favorite movies was on. Pulling the covers up to my chin, I felt my eyes water at the memory that came into my mind.

_I stood on the porch watching him. Thunder rolled through the sky, and the rain was falling onto my skin in sheets. It was late afternoon, but it seemed even later with the dark clouds covering the sky. Squinting through the rain, I saw him turn toward me. My breath caught in my throat._

_He was wearing a white wife beater and dark jeans. The tank clung to him, the rain steadily pounding against his clothes. Mama had just recently cut his hair, and though short, it was matted around his head, water dripping down his face. I noticed that he caught my gaze and I grinned._

_"Dixon! Git yer ass in this house 'fore ya catcha cold!" I yelled playfully. After staring at me for a moment, he gave me a cheesy grin and jogged toward the porch._

_"Ain't gone catch no damn cold." He snorted, his grin gone, a smirk replacing it. I shook my head._

_"C'mon." I grabbed his hand, pulling him up the porch steps and into the house._

_"Where's ya Mama?" He asked, looking around._

_"They went on down to the store. Be back soon." I explained, walking toward the stairs. I turned back toward him. "Comin' or what?" Narrowing his blue eyes, he said nothing, only walked toward me. Turning back to the stairs, I bounded up them and walked toward my bedroom. _

_"What the hell ya doin', girl?" He asked._

_"Gimme jus' a minute, dammit." I growled playfully. I slammed my door shut, leaving him out in the hallway. Shuffling through my closet, I grabbed a tank top and a pair of shorts. Dressing quickly, I darted over to my drawer and opened it. Grabbing a pair of basketball shorts, and a plain white t-shirt, I shut the drawer. Flinging my bedroom door open, I grinned, shoving the clothes at him. "Here ya go. Gimme ya wet clothes."_

_Grunting, he turned and walked quietly to the bathroom. Not bothering to shut the door, he changed quickly, ripping off his wife beater and jeans. Once he was dressed in the clothes I had gotten for him, he appeared back into the hall, handing over the wet clothes. I snatched them from his hand, and turned on my heels, ready to run._

_"Girl!" He growled, and I took off for the stairs screaming. I could hear him behind me, chasing me. Giggles escaped me as I ran toward the wash room, flinging the door open. There was no where else to run, and he grabbed me, slinging me over his shoulder._

_"STOP! STOP DIXON!" I hollered, hitting him on the back as I laughed. "I gotta DRY...THESE...CLOTHES!"_

_"Well, dry 'em dammit." He shot back, leaning down so I could throw his wet clothes in the dryer. Still giggling, I chunked them in the dryer, and felt myself rise a little bit as the start button appeared in front of my face. Pushing it, the dryer came to life, and suddenly we were out of the wash room. I laughed as he plunked me down onto the couch._

_"Hand me that remote." I said with a smile. He handed it over, and I turned the T.V. on. Sitting side by side, I glanced over at him and smiled. Looking back at the T.V., I noticed that one of my favorite movies was on. "Yer watchin' this with me."_

_"What?" He asked, searching my face with a raised eyebrow._

_"Pretty Woman." I gave an evil grin at his eye rolling. But he didn't move, just sat beside me. We slipped into a comfortable silence, watching..._

* * *

I awoke with a start when the front door slammed open. _When'd I fall 'sleep?_ I wondered, raising my head. Railey came running into my room. She jumped on my bed, shaking me. I sat up straight, pushing her off of me, glaring. _The hell's wrong with'er?_ I turned on my light by my bed, to see the front of her shirt covered in blood.

"Railey? The hell happened?" I jumped up from my bed, looking her over.

"I'm fine! I'm fine! I gotta tell ya what happened down at the diner!" Railey's eyes were wide. She sat on the edge of my bed. "I think we need'a get outta here."

"What? Why?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Well, there I was, servin' a table. A nice guy an' nice girl. Then all'a sudden this guy comes in, lookin' all crazy. His eyes looked funny, cloudy. He started attackin' the closest person to him. He bit Lisa." Railey ranted.

"Bit her?" I asked, staring at Railey with questioning eyes.

"Yepp. He bit'er right on the arm! I was tryin' to stop the bleedin', he was runnin' 'round the diner tryin' to bite people. It was ridiculous. The police came an' blew 'em to hell!" Railey explained.

"Damn... Killed him?" I asked.

"Right in the head." Railey nodded. "Kept askin' who was bit. Took Lisa away in an ambulance. I think we need'a go. Now."

"Aight... Aight." I began to panic slightly. Railey was a goofball. This had to be bad for her to want to leave. I grabbed my phone and called Mama. _Ring...Ring...Ring... _"C'mon, c'mon... Pick it up, Mama."

"Hello?" Daddy.

"Daddy!" Somethin' bad is goin' on here in Chattanooga. Railey got attacked on her shift. She ain't bit, but 'nother waitress got bitten an' they blew the guy's head off! In front of everyone!" I was freaking out.

"Okay, okay. Listen, get in ya car, Katie-Evelyn. Come home. Don't stop for nothin'. Understand?" Daddy ordered sleepily.

"I'm comin'." I said frantically, turning on the T.V., and hanging up the phone. The news was reporting what had happened at the diner, saying the attacks were becoming more severe.

"It's time to go." Railey mumbled. I nodded, and we busied ourselves packing what we could, leaving what we couldn't. Before walking out of the door, I remembered the letters.

"Shit!" I mumbled, running back into my room. I ripped open my nightstand drawer, grabbed the three letters, and ran back to the T.V.

"The outbreak is-" I cut the T.V. off. _Outbreak_. This _was_ serious. Railey jumped in her car, and I climbed in my own vehicle. Following her onto the road, my thoughts ran crazily through my head. Had this thing hit Georgia? At that thought, another question crossed my mind. _What 'bout the Dixons?_ I brushed off the question, knowing that wherever they were, they were safe. They were just fine. They had to be.


	2. Chapter 2

Railey and I had been driving for nearly an hour. It was dark, hard to stay awake. I blinked hard, trying to fight off the sleep I felt attempting to creep into my eyes. When Railey's brake lights lit up, I pushed down on my own brake pedal, wondering what was going on. Craning my neck, I could barely make out a few cars ahead of hers. A man in uniform walked up to her window. After exchanging a few words, he walked toward my car. Feeling a little nervous, I rolled my window down half way.

"Evenin' Ma'am, sorry for the incovenience, but we gotta roadblock up ahead. Should be moving soon." He explained, his eyes tired.

"What happened?" I asked, cutting my engine.

"Car accident." The man replied. "Driver was high as a kite."

"Sure he wasn't sick?" I asked.

"What do you know about that?" The officer asked, suddenly leaning closer to my car. I decided to play it smart.

"Nothin' really. Jus' people gettin' that little flu virus. Don't seem too serious." I shook my head.

"That ya friend up there? Said she knew ya. Y'all leavin' town or what?" The cop pressed.

"Headin' to Georgia. Goin' to see my parents. Really excited, too. Ain't seen 'em since Christmas." I was truthful on that statement, despite the pain of it.

"Been a long time to stay 'way from home." The officer said quietly. "Well, be safe. Hope ya get to see ya folks."

"Thanks." I offered a sweet smile, before rolling up my window. _Shit, whatta we do now?_ Unlocking my door, I opened it and got out of my car. Walking over to Railey's vehicle, I saw her door open and she stepped out to meet me.

"What should we do?" She asked in a hushed whisper. Giving a quick glance around, I looked back at her with a worried face._ Daddy said not to stop for nothin'._

"Take a back road. Find a place to stay 'til dawn. Hit the road 'gain." I whispered.

"We gotta go now." Railey agreed. I jogged back to my car and waited until she got to hers. Railey backed up a little, and turned into the grass, turning around. I followed her, leaving the cop and the others cars behind. Railey turned down a side road, and we drove until we came upon another highway.

Within forty minutes or so, we ran across a small hotel. Railey whipped into the parking lot and I whipped in behind her. Cutting the engine, I turned off my head lights and stepped out of the car. Locking my doors, I turned to Railey, who was walking over to me. I could see her face in the lights shining from the hotel. Her face showed something far beyond concern.

"Think we needa drive on through." Railey said suddenly. "I don't trust it. I wanna go home."

"Yer sure?" I asked, feeling exhausted.

"Yea... Katie-Evelyn?" Her voice was small.

"What's wrong?" I asked, opening my truck door.

"I'm goin' for it... I don't wanna split up, but I needa find my family. You gotta find yours. Keep your phone on you, when I get to my house, I'll call you. We can meet back up at..." Railey shook her head. "The CDC! We'll meet up at the CDC, I'm sure they'll have some sorta answers."

"Aight." I nodded. "We really gonna split?"

"I gotta find my family." Railey whispered.

"No, no. I understand." I tried to smile, despite the tears in my eyes. "Gotta git mine too."

"Come here, you." Railey said sadly, grabbing me in a hug. I held onto her tightly, not wanting to let my best friend go. "Call me when you get where you're goin'."

"Will.. Be careful out there." I mumbled, pulling back from her. "We dunno what we're dealin' with."

"You, too. Don't forget about me." She said, opening her car door.

"The CDC. I'll remember!" I wiped a tear falling down my cheek.

"I'll see you later." Railey was crying.

"See ya." I waved, climbing into my car. Tears streaked my cheeks as we left the parking lot, heading in different directions. I felt scared suddenly, realizing I was all alone. I drove on, trying to keep focused on the road, but my eyes were blurry, and my mind was too tired. Knowing that I needed sleep, I tried to make a plan in my head.

_Drive for while, finda 'lil motel. Sleep, then git my ass home... Daddy said not to stop, but I gotta pull over somewhere or wreck, one._ Driving on, I turned the radio on. Static. Changing the channel, I finally found a station. A man was speaking about the outbreak. As much as I didn't want to listen to anymore about this fast spreading virus, I listened anyway, afraid of turning the radio station.

"The authorities are saying to stay indoors. Keep your doors locked, do not let anyone into your home. If you are bitten or scratched, get to a hospital immediately. The CDC are working to solve this issue, they made a statement this afternoon, saying that they are on their way to having a solution. Until then, report all incidents to local police, and stay inside. All bites and scratches need to be reported to a doctor, we cannot stress this enough. The cases have increased dramatically. Over one hundred cases, and that's only in the united states alone. Cases are popping up all over the world."

I cut the radio station off, by pressing the CD button. Breaking Benjamin was blasting in my ears, and I turned the air on high. My CD blaring and the air cold against my skin, I drove on into the night. My eyes were heavy, I just wanted to sleep. Trying to keep my eyes on the road, I saw a sign ahead. My headlights flooded it, and it read: 'Bedside Inn'.

I whipped my car into the parking lot and parked in a empty space. Cutting the engine, I looked around the dimly lit lot, seeing it was empty. Except one car on the side, a blue Dodge truck. Snatching up my bag and my keys from the ignition, I opened my car door cautiously. Taking another sweeping glance around the empty parking lot, I made a dash for the front entrance of the motel.

I don't really know why I ran, but I did. Once to the front, I walked into the lobby to silence. Slowly stepping toward the counter, I leaned over, looking for any sign of life. Nothing. Letting out a breath, I turned around and let out a little yelp. A woman stood in front of me, wide eyed, with a huge crowbar in her hands. We were silent, just staring at each other, when she let out a breath and relaxed her hand.

"Child, I almost took your head off!" The woman fussed, giving me a scolding look.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to scare ya." I replied, trying to calm myself.

"It's fine, but ya need to get on somewhere else. I'm closin' up the motel an' goin' home." The woman word's were firm.

"Please, I jus' needa room for the night." I practically begged. "Been drivin' from Tennessee, jus' tryin' to git home. My family, I gotta git to my mama and my daddy. But I can't keep my eyes open. Please."

"You been bit, scratched?" The woman scanned over my body with her eyes.

"No ma'am... Ya know anything 'bout all this?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

"People comin' back from the dead? What else's there to know?" She huffed, crossing her arms. "Look, I'll leave ya a key to a room and the motel. You leave in the mornin', you lock up, got it?" The woman handed me a key.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." I took the keys and nodded. "I will."

"Be careful, don't let 'em bite you. Or scratch. The fever, then... You die. Then come back." The woman said quietly.

"That's impossible." I shook my head. "Folks don't jus' come back from the dead."

"Now they do... Now go get your sleep and get outta here in the mornin'. Don't get your hopes up about your family." Her voice was almost sad. Too shocked to say anything, I watched her leave the through the entrance door and run to her truck. I locked the door behind her and went to a room. Throwing my bag onto the floor, and setting my keys on the bedside table, I climbed onto the bed. Under the cover, I closed my eyes... Sleep.

* * *

**Well, that's chapter 2 ! Will Evelyn find her family ? Will she ever see Railey again ? What ties does she have with Merle and Daryl, that run so deep ? Everything will be revealed slowly, chapter by chapter, as we go through this journey through Evelyn's eyes. I am very excited about this story, and I can't wait to see what yall think. Let me know what yall think. The reviews are greatly appreciated !**

**~Kaila G.**


	3. Chapter 3

I was fourteen again, standing out in the blazing hot sun around the side of our house near the hay bales. A glass in each hand, full of Mama's ice cold sweet tea, I stared at the boys. Calling them boys was probably an understatement, they were both older than me. The two were working savagely, and it was almost as if I didn't exist. Like they didn't notice me. My first thought was just to turn around and leave with their tea. That thought caused me to snicker, which made Merle look up.

"Oh looky here. She done brought us out some drinks." He grinned stupidly and walked over to me.

"Here." I said flatly, shoving the cup toward him.

"Ya Mama send ya out here, girly?" He asked, taking the cup from my hand.

"Well, yea." I looked at him as if he were stupid. "Didn't walk my ass out here 'cause I wanned to."

"Got us a feisty one!" Merle tilted his head back laughing. "What would ya Mama say 'bout that dirty 'lil mouth of yers?"

"Better not rat! Make ya lose yer job." I growled, getting defensive. Merle burst into laughter. Sighing, I decided to go a friendlier route. "Look, ya don't tell, I'll keep bringin' y'all tea. 'Kay?" I smiled sweetly.

"Uh huh. Sounds good to me." Merle agreed. He took the other cup from my hand. "C'mere 'lil brother! Get ya ass over here an' drink somethin'." Daryl, who had been working through this whole conversation, jumped down from the bale of hay he was standing on. Walking over toward us, he stopped beside Merle and took the glass.

"Hey Ev'lyn." His voice quiet. I always liked Daryl. He was the sweeter one.

"Hey." I chirped. "So here's the deal. Daddy gave me a list of borin' ass chores, so asked him if I could work out here 'stead."

"Seriously? He 'greed to that?" Merle looked horrified.

"Yepp, said it'd be good for me. Need some... Good workin' habits." I grinned, knowing Merle was about to be pissed.

"Good God, now Imma fuckin' babysitter." He growled, turning back toward the hay bales. Giggling, I followed. Glancing over, I saw Daryl's lips curved upward in a somewhat smile. Happy to have some company, I stood beside Merle, waiting for instruction. He glared at me. "You even lift them bales, Katie-E?"

"Yea." I lied. I didn't know if I could, but he didn't need to know that.

"Jus' take 'em from this pile, to Darylina over there." Merle ordered, shooing me with his hand. Letting out a snort, I walked over to the mountain of hay bales.

"Take these." Daryl walked over to me, a pair of gloves in his own gloved hand. "Tear ya hands up without 'em."

"Thanks." I mumbled. Slipping the gloves on, I grabbed the strings holding the bales together. I tried my hardest to lift it, but I couldn't. Sighing, I looked around. Merle was watching me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and he flipped me a bird. Feeling determined, I decided if I couldn't carry it, I had to come up with another solution. Drag it.

My fingers curled around the tight strings, and I began pulling the bale of hay backward. I pulled it all the way to where Daryl was standing. He was chuckling as I stopped, and I gave him a big grin. Merle came walking up, shaking his head. His face had a goofy smile plastered on it, and I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.

"Don't tell'er she cain't, 'cause she's gonna show ya she can, huh?" Merle huffed playfully. "Come on. Got work to do."

"Yea, yea." I muttered, following behind him, back to the hay bales. _This's gonna be a long summer..._

* * *

I awoke to brightness. Trying to open my eyes, I squinted in the bright light. Rubbing my face, I sat up, and looked around the room. My bag was still on the floor, and seeing it there sent me back through yesterday's events. The clock on the nightstand was blinking twelve o'clock, and I knew that had to be wrong. Grabbing my cell phone from beside my pillow, I clicked the 'unlock' button.

Nine forty-six. _Man I slept late._ I saw that I had missed calls and messages, but my cell phone said I had no service. I looked at the texts. They were from Railey. I had five messages. I clicked on the first one. 'Made it 2 AL state line.'. Clicking on the second message, my eyes began to adjust more to the light. 'Hey, u awake? Family's gone. House empty'. 'Katie-Evelyn, it's bad. Don't know what's happenin, but ur worryin me. Call me back.'

I clicked on the fourth one. 'If ur alive, watch out for the geeks. Heard someone call em that. Don't get bit or scratched.'. My brain was reeling as I clicked on the last message. 'I think it's the end of the world. Not lyin. CDC is where I'm headin. Don't 4get. B careful out there...' Staring at my phone, I jumped up from the bed and ran over to the motel window.

Seeing my car in the parking lot gave me relief. Letting out a breath, I stared at my phone, trying to watch for a signal. Nothing popped up, my phone was still saying 'No Service'. Frustrated and freaked out, I grabbed my bag from the floor and the hotel keys off of the table. Taking my own car keys from the bag, I opened the motel door, and crept out into the hallway.

Running for the stairwell, I flung the door open and ran down the flight of stairs. The lobby was empty, silent. Running past the front desk, I unlocked the front door of the motel, and stepped outside. It was quiet, the heat from the sun bearing down on me as I locked the motel door. Dropping the keys in a box by the door, I ran for my car. Unlocking the door, I jumped inside and started the engine. Sighing, I leaned my head back against the head rest.

_Gotta git home._ I thought, pulling myself back together. Throwing the car in reverse, I pulled out of the parking space, and left the parking lot. Once back out on the road, the day light showed that I wasn't too far from home. Deciding it would be best to stick to the backroads, I kept driving, only wanting one thing. Home. I wanted to go home.

Drving faster than I should have been, I kept my eyes on the road and never stopped. When I saw the old dirt road leading down to my Daddy's farm, I wanted to yell out in relief. Every part of me relaxed as I sped down the dirt road, dirt clouding behind me in the rearview mirror. Once I reached the end of the driveway, I saw my old truck in the yard. _Right where I left it._

Parking, I could see that my father's truck was gone. The family car was parked in its usual spot, but the truck was gone. Feeling nervous, I cut the engine and stepped out of my car. Walking quietly toward the house, I ran up the front steps and to the front door. I turned the knob but it was locked. Looking around, I saw the flower pot over by the swing on the porch. Jogging over, I grabbed the key from underneath and ran back to the front door.

Sticking the key in the key hole, I wiggled it slightly, and twisted the knob. The door popped open. Stepping inside the house, I shut the door behind me and locked it. The house was eerily quiet, and I knew something was off. No one was here, or at least it felt that way. _Maybe Dad ran to town or somethin'. Mama's gotta be here._

"Mama?" I called out, my voice low. I waited for a reply, but only silence answered me. Stepping past the living room, I walked into the kitchen. On the counter was a piece of paper, a tractor statue that belonged to my father, sitting on top of it. I ran over and tore the paper from underneath the heavy statue.

_Kate, _

_I'm so sorry, I had to leave the house. I am trying to find Dr. Hayes. Don't go into town, something is wrong with everyone. I left a bag on your bed, Dixie is locked in your room. I hope you find this and no one else. It's chaos out here. Oh, and whatever you do, DO NOT GO IN THE BASEMENT. For once, please listen to me, Katie-Evelyn._

_Be careful and get out of this area. Try to find me, or a group. They are supposed to be setting up refugee camps. Find one and stay there. If you have to shoot someone, shoot them in the head... I will find you._

_ Love, Dad._

I stared at the note, confused and scared. My brain was reeling and I didn't understand what was happening. The note itself didn't make any sense. _Where's Mama? He never mentioned her at all. Jus' that he was lookin' for Dr. Hayes..._ A noise made me jump. _Thump_..._Thump_... I dropped the note and ran into the hallway. Running upstairs, I reached my room and jerked the door open. A low growl met me, coming from under my bed.

"Dixie!" I exclaimed. I saw the tip of her nose, followed by the rest of her, as the little red bone hound crawled out from under my old bed. She ran over to me, jumping up to greet me. I grabbed her face in my hands, looking into her eyes. "Dixie... What's happenin'?" I asked, kissing her nose. She just looked at me with sad eyes.

Letting her go, I stepped over to my bed, grabbing the bag and pulling it over to me. Unzipping it, I rummaged through the items Daddy had left. A handgun, a .22 to be exact. A shotgun, shells, bullets, two big hunting knives, my truck keys... Grabbing the handgun, I checked it to see if it was loaded. It was, which I figured. Keeping the safety on, I zipped the bag shut and tossed it over my shoulder.

I walked quickly over to my old computer desk. Snatching open the drawer, I grabbed the thick photo album inside, along with my journal. Struggling with the duffel bag, I unzipped it and shoved the photo album and journal inside, zipping it back up. Looking around the room, I realized there was nothing else to grab. I walked over to the doorway, Dixie right at my side.

As I left my old bedroom, I stopped for a moment in the door way. Dixie's food and water dished were on the floor. I noticed the food dish was empty. My eyes reached the bed. Everything looked exactly the way I had left it. I could still see Daryl and I laying on the bed, Dixie in between us. Laughing and making jokes about life.

_Those days'er over now. Time to go._ I forced my eyes away from the room, as I turned back toward the stairs. Dixie followed behind me quietly down the stairs. We reached the kitchen, and Dixie began growling. I turned to see her looking at the basement door. _Thump...Thump...Thump...Thump... _I looked over at the door, tilting my head at the noise.

"The hell?" I mumbled, walking over to the basement door. I reached out for the doorknob, and stopped. Dixie was growling something fierce, and I wanted to stop. I wanted to leave and never look in the basement. _Daddy said not to..._ Trying to decide what to do, I decided to just get it over with. Twisting the knob, I flung open the door.

A person came falling out onto the kitchen floor. I jumped back, my heart pounding. Dixie was growling and backing away from the figure. The hair, the clothing... She looked up at me and I began shaking my head. It was Mama... But she didn't look right. Her skin was pale and grayish, her eyes cloudy. Filmed over, like she was sick or something. She managed to get to her feet and came stumbling toward me. Gurgling and growling noises came from her throat.

"Mama!" I tried to call to her as I stepped back. She snapped her jaws at me, growling. Tears formed in my eyes. "Mama! Stop! MAMA!" I was screaming. Raising my gun, I clicked the safety off. "MAMA!" The loud pop of the gun went off. I had shot her in the chest. She took the blow and kept coming. _The hell happened to'er?_ Snarling she kept stumbling closer. Railey's story at the diner flashed through my mind.

"MAMA, STOP!" I screamed again. She was so close to me, I fired the gun again, this time aiming for her head. Her head jerked back, and blood splayed across the kitchen floor as she fell. I just stood there, watching her lifeless body lying on the kitchen floor. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe. Tears slipped down my cheeks, but I couldn't make a sound.

The weight of the duffel bag slung over my shoulder and a cold nose against my hand got me moving. Refusing to take another look at my mother's dead body, I ran to the front door, Dixie on my heels. Shutting the door behind me out of habit, we ran to my truck. Opening the door, I waited for Dixie to jump up in the truck. Taking one last look around the farm I had grew up on, I jumped into the truck and shut the door.

"That wasn't Mama no more... That was somethin' else." I said quitely. Dixie just looked at me, her light brown eyes full of concern. One thing I had gotten lucky with, is that Dixie was quiet for the most part. Daryl had taken her hunting ever since she was a pup, and he had taught her well. When she needed to be, she was like a slient hunter. Petting her head, I frowned slightly. "Gotta find people. Gotta find that refugee camp."

I started the engine, afraid of what was to come. _Jus' killed my mama..._ I turned the truck around in the front yard and sped away from the house. Glancing back in my rear view mirror, I watched as the house got farther and farther away. Pulling my eyes from the sight, I focused on the dirt road in front of me. _No lookin' back. Jus' like before._ Trying to harden my emotions, I kept my eyes dry and my heart on stand by. Dixie and I were the only thing I was concerned about.

* * *

**Well, that's chapter 2 ! Will Evelyn find her family ? Will she ever see Railey again ? What ties does she have with Merle and Daryl, that run so deep ? Everything will be revealed slowly, chapter by chapter, as we go through this journey through Evelyn's eyes. I am very excited about this story, and I can't wait to see what yall think. Let me know what yall think. The reviews are greatly appreciated !**

**~Kaila G.**


	4. Chapter 4

The sun was beginning to set, so I stopped at an old brick house. It looked dark, empty. Sighing, I grabbed my bag and opened my door quietly. Dixie jumped out and we made our way toward the front door of the strange house. In the dim light of the setting sun, I noticed an ash tray on a small porch table. My mind fluttered back to a time long ago, as I opened the front door to an empty living room...

* * *

Fifteen years old, I snuck around to the side of the barn. Looking around, I saw no one in sight. Feeling accomplished, I pulled the pack of cigarettes from my back pocket of my jean shorts. Taking one from the pack, I lit it, inhaling the cigarette with a grin. I had been wanting one all day, but if my parents caught me smoking I'd never hear the end of it.

June bugs called around through the woods loudly, the summer evening's heat still harsh. Leaning against the barn, I exhaled, staring out into the woods. The summer day had been long, I had spent it helping Merle and Daryl clean the stalls in the barn. The horses were currently out in the field, grazing and running about. I could see my horse from where I was standing, his black body running through the field.

"Crazy horse." I mumbled, watching Nirvana run. Daryl had named him.

"Caught ya." A gruff voice made me turn quickly, my face in shock from the surprise of someone finding me. Daryl stood at the corner of the barn, before walking toward me, a smirk on his face,

"Tell on me, I'll kill ya, Dixon." I growled out the warning with a smile.

"Gimme one, call it even." He bargained, and I handed the pack over. "God, I hope ya Daddy don't come 'round here."

"He ain't." I giggled when Daryl shook his head.

"Better hope not. Both be dead." Daryl fussed, the cigarette between his teeth. Handing over my lighter, I watched him light the cigarette, then he handed my things back to me. We both leaned against the barn, watching the horses run. "Look at 'em."

"Nirvana hates me." I complained, shaking my head.

"No he don't. Jus'... Free spirited's all." He looked at me, the corners of his lips tugging upward. Teasing. As always.

"Shuttup." I growled, trying not to laugh. That horse hated me and we both knew it. Always tried to throw me off, and nipped at me every chance it got. Daryl, though, that damned animal loved him. "Ain't see a thing." I said, rubbing my cigarette across the dirt.

"Ain't see a thing." Daryl nodded, his cigarette still lit.

"Later Dixon." I said with a grin, walking away from the barn.

"Hn." He grunted after me. I felt my heart flutter, and I wasn't quite sure why.

* * *

We made our way through the towns. It was like that for days. I stopped at random houses, staying the night before moving on. Running low on gas, and tired from sleeping in strange houses, I knew that getting to Atlanta was a priority now. There had to be something safe set up in the city. I needed gas to make it to the city, and I knew we wouldn't get too much farther without it. The first house we stopped at, I parked the truck and looked at Dixie.

"Gotta find gas." I mumbled, as if she'd really respond. I had transferred all my things into one bag, which was heaver than I had hoped. Opening my truck door, my feet hit the ground, and I threw my duffel bag over my shoulder. After Dixie jumped out of the truck, I shut the door. We were close to the city, and I was ready for something safe.

I hadn't ran into many geeks, and the ones I did come across, I just avoided. All I could see was my Mama. Wishing I had listened to Daddy, I walked quietly along the driveway toward the empty house. No car was under the carport. Sighing, I left the front of the house and walked around to the back yard. Seeing an old firebird in the back yard made my lips curve upward. _Please have some gas..._ I silently begged as I jogged toward the old car.

I was close enough to reach out and touch the vehicle, when a noise stopped me in my tracks. Dixie jerked around and looked toward the direction we had come. Grabbing my knife from my side, I waited for the thing to come around the side of the house. Another footstep... I was preparing myself to lunge forward, quietly slipping my bag from my shoulder and onto the ground. The figure walked around the corner, and everything seemed to freeze.

The man looked at me, his eyes bright green. For a moment we just stared at each other. Dixie was close to me, her side touching my leg. The man looked at me, then at her. I couldn't speak, he was the first person I had seen alive since the lady at the motel. He looked pretty shocked himself, his face lit up with curosity.

"Hey little lady." He nodded, stepping closer.

"Hey.." I said quietly, watching him.

"That your truck?" He asked, nodding toward the front of the house.

"Yea, scrappin' for gas." I nodded, my arm relaxing. I tucked my knife back into its holder in my jean shorts.

"We gotta camp set up about a mile from here. Could help you find some gas. Can come back with me, or just go on your way. Your call." He gave me a little grin.

"Tryin' to get to the city. Gotta find my Daddy." I said quietly, looking around. "So ya not alone?"

"Nah, got some others around this area trying to get supplies. The city is overrun, honey. You don't wanna go there." He stepped closer to me.

"Ain't got much of a choice." I started to say something else, when his fist connected with my lip. The punch was so hard, it knocked me on my ass. Stunned, I grabbed my mouth, not even seeing the foot lashing out toward me. His boot connected with my ribs, and I saw sparks. I didn't have time to cry out, a growl rumbled into my ears, and I saw Dixie leap into the air. Her jaws clamped down on the man's arm.

Ignoring the pain in my mouth and ribs, I reached down in my boot for my gun. My hand was bloody, he surely busted my lip. Clicking off the safety, I pointed the gun at him. He never noticed the gun in my hand until he slung Dixie to the ground. She jumped up, ready to attack again, and I saw his hand grab a knife from under his shirt. I fired my gun, watching him drop to the ground. It wasn't a head shot, but he wasn't getting back up.

"MICK?" I heard a male's voice yell not far away.

"Dixie, come on!" I growled in pain, forcing myself to stand. Grabbing my bag, I slung it over my shoulder, crying out at the sharp stab in my side. More shouting filled my ears, and I did the only thing I could think to do. Run.

"STOP! HEY YOU!" My heart began to pound. They had seen me. My flight senses kicked in, and I ran. Dixie was ahead of me, only a foot or so, running through some thin trees. I heard a loud _POP_, and I knew they were firing. Pushing myself to run faster, we cut through some thicker wooded area.

We ran on and on. My lungs were on fire, my ribs aching sharply. Blood was still dripping from my lip, I could feel it drizzling down my chin. Wiping my face with my arm, I winced at the pain in my side. _Don't stop runnin'... Keep goin'. _I kept telling myself to run. Just run. I had no idea that things were this bad, and the thought of that man and what he had done, scared me. But I was hurting something awful, and Dixie kept stopping, looking back at me. As if to tell me to keep up.

I was ready to fall to the ground. I couldn't run anymore. It was like tunnel vision, blacking out was close. Gasping for air I tried to keep going. Then I heard it. A strange noise up ahead. It sounded like... The whooping, chirping noise of a car alarm. It was growing louder, coming closer. _They gotta help me... Could be my only chance._ I had to go for it.

Gathering every bit of strength I had, I ran up the huge inclined hill. To my surprise, I was at the interstate. Looking to my left, I saw it. A red sports car was barreling towards us, the alarm ringing loudly in my ears. _Last ditch effort._ I thought. Throwing my arms up, I cried out, wincing at the awful pull in my side. Knowing it was my life in my hands, I kept waving my arms wildly in the air. The sports car came to a stop, and the door opened.

"Hurry! Get in!" An Asian kid yelped. Dixie jumped into the car, causing the boy to lean back. I pushed her and my bag into the back seat, and he took off just as I shut my door. "You bit?"

"Bit? No... I... I ran..." I was trying to catch my breath. "Ran into guys... Bad, they were chasin' me. One got me."

"Your lip's busted." He said, looking straight ahead at the road.

"Yea, kinna noticed that one when he clocked me in the face." I murmured, my voice on the verge of sarcasm. "Goddammit!" I yelled out, my ribs on fire. I held my right side. Everytime my heart beat, sharp pains would course through my whole side. My lip felt pretty bad too.

"I'm Glenn, we got a camp set up, we're good people. I promise." His voice was gentle, sincere.

"Thank you... For stoppin'. Thought I was gonna die." I admitted looking at him. "Katie-Evelyn."

"I almost didn't, to be honest... I thought you were bit, or worse...And your friend?" He glanced in the rearview mirror at Dixie.

"That's Dixie. She's a smart one." I tried to smile.

"Are you okay?" He asked, glancing at me.

"Guy kicked me in the ribs. I think Imma black out." I mumbled.

"We'll be there soon." Glenn assured, glancing at me again. Keeping my eyes on the window, I watched the scenery pass us by. The city turned into country, and soon we were on a bumpy dirt road. My side contracted in pain with every bump. Trying not to be a little bitch, I held my tongue.

"Shane's gonna kill me." Glenn mumbled, as we drove up the incline.

"Who's Shane?" I asked, trying to get my mind off the pain.

"You'll see." Glenn replied as we drove up into a clearing where vehicles were parked about, and I saw people swarming over to where we were now parked. An RV was parked not too far ahead, and I could see people coming out of it to see what all the fuss was about. A man with dark hair approached the car, his face caught somewhere between worry and anger.

"Holy crap! Turn that damn thing off!" An older man with a fishing hat on, yelled as Glenn jumped from the car. I got out slowly, making no move towards the strange faces. Dixie jumped out and stayed by my side. I felt dizzy.

"I dunno how!" Glenn threw his arms up. Everyone began yelling all at once, and Glenn sat back in the vehicle as a young blonde girl screamed in his ear.

"Is she alive? Did she get out okay?" The girl yelled.

"Yea, yea, yaaa! She's okay, she's okay!" Glenn yelled back over the loud car alarm.

"Is she coming back?" Another question.

"Yes!" Glenn practically yelled.

"Why isn't she with you?" The girl asked. The car alarm stopped. "Where is she? She's okay?"

"Yes... Yea. Fine, everybody is... But-" Everything went black.

* * *

My mother had known Daryl and Merle's parents for a long time. She rarely brought them up, but when she did, she cursed their father. Their mother had died before I was born, and that had broke Mama's heart. All I knew of their father was what Mama ranted about. The first time I ever saw the scars, I understood why she hated him so much.

I was nine years old, and the boys had came down to the pond to swim. Daddy told them to watch out for me, and they agreed to do so. Feeling independent, I had told them I didn't need a babysitter as soon as Daddy walked away. Merle just snorted "Brat" at me, before taking off his shirt. Daryl followed, and I saw marks on both of them.

Along their backs, sides, shoulders.. Welps and scars. I tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. It was horrific, I'd never seen anything like that before. These two boys, that I had known for so long, had a horrible home life. I felt like it was so unfair, they were good kids. I knew they were good, even though Merle had a wild streak. They didn't deserve that. No one did.

"What?" Merle huffed, his eyes on mine. "Like my battle scars?"

"Ya Daddy's a piece of shit." I growled, causing both of them to narrow their eyes.

"Maybe, but he's still family." Merle said, his voice strangely calm.

"So? Family don't do that." I shook my head. "Y'all don't deserve it."

"Nice to know ya don't think so Katie-E." Merle chirped, before bum rushing me. I screamed, and tried to get away, but he yanked me up and threw me into the lake. Sputtering and spitting out water, I shot up from under the surface,

"YOU SON-OF-A BITCH!" I yelled. I looked over at Daryl, who was laughing. "It ain't funny! Git him!"

"Merle!" Daryl yelled, trying to stop laughing.

* * *

"MERLE!" I sat up, pain shooting through my side. Leaning on my elbow, I tried to catch my breath. Dixie was sitting at the side of my tent whining. Looking around, I saw I had a blanket over me, and I was in a small blue tent. I heard some mumbling, I couldn't quite make out, but I swore I had heard Daryl's voice.

My heart began racing, and I didn't know what to think. I couldn't move, I couldn't call out. I just sat in the tent watching Dixie whimper and fidget around. A wave of emotion and hope rammed me, and I lunged forward, ignoring the sharp pain in my side. Tearing the tent open, I watched as Dixie ran toward the RV, and I followed her, my heart pounding in my ears.

"YOU BEST LEMME GO!" I heard the gruff voice and I stopped, I saw Shane holding Daryl in a chokehold. Dixie went to run toward them, but I grabbed her collar.

"Nah, I think it's better if I don't." Shane mumbled, taking him to the ground. I couldn't see Daryl very well, but I knew it was him.

"Choke holdin's illegal." Daryl fussed.

"You can file a complaint. Come on now, we can keep this up all day." Shane argued back. I watched as a stranger knelt down in front of them.

"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic, you think we can manage that? You think we can manage that? What I did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others."

"It's not Rick's fault." Another man spoke up. "I had the key.. I dropped it."

"Ya couldn't pick it up?" Daryl yelled, sitting on his ass.

"Well, I dropped it in a drain." Everyone watched as Daryl stood up.

"S'posed to make me feel better, it don't." Daryl growled, throwing a handful of dirt.

"Maybe this will." The stranger tried again. "Look, I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at 'em. With a padlock."

"It's gotta count for somethin'." Rick said quietly. I watched as Daryl wiped his face.

"To hell with all y'all!" He yelled. "Jus' tell me where he is, so I can get 'em."

"He'll show you, isn't that right?" Some lady said.

'I'm goin' back." Rick agreed. I watched as Daryl started to walk away. I knew I wasn't dreaming. I really wasn't dreaming.

"STOP!" I yelled, letting Dixie go, running forward. Everyone turned to look at me, and Dixie ran toward him at full speed. I saw him turn around as the dog jumped into the air. Dixie reached him first, slamming into him. Shocked, his hand grabbed her and she licked his face crazily.

"Dixie... Evelyn..?" He trailed off, his voice gruff, but surprised.

I stopped in front of him, not knowing what to do, what to say. He pushed Dixie off gently, and we just stared at each other. His blue eyes burned into mine, and I couldn't find the words to speak. His eyes were watery, red. I could feel the eyes of the group, waiting to see what was going to happen. Daryl lifted a hand to my face and touched my lip.

"Ya lip..." He trailed off, and I jumped at him, throwing my arms around his neck. I felt his hands slowly wrap around me, as I cried.

"This real?" I mumbled through my tears, and Daryl shrugged, pushing me away softly.

"These idiots..." Daryl trailed off, shaking his head. I stepped forward, my hand touching his arm. He flinched, jerked away, and stomped off. Sighing, I started to go after him, but stopped. He needed to calm down, and so did I. My heart was racing, and I still wondered if it was just a crazy dream.

* * *

**So they meet again at last. Things are going to get crazy now, and we'll be at the CDC before long ! I am very excited to make this story begin, and I can't wait to see the feedback from the readers ! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I know things are a little slow, and there's a lot of flashbacks, but you will learn more and more about their past together as we go !**

**Thank you for the review, and my follows ! You guys are AWESOME !**

**~Kaila G.**


	5. Chapter 5

"You know him, huh?" Glenn walked over to me. Dixie had followed Daryl, and I let them go.

"Yea, uh, we... Grew up together." I nodded. "What happened? I blacked out?"

"You did." Glenn nodded. "The girls cleaned you up and put you in the tent." I looked up to see the older man with the hat walking over to us.

"I'm Dale." He stuck out his hand. I shook it, squinting in the bright sun light.

"Katie-Evelyn. Go by Evelyn, though." I said quietly. Glenn motioned for the others to come over.

"Nice to see you up." Shane said, looking around.

"This is Katie-Evelyn." Glenn announced. "But she goes by Evelyn."

"I'm Rick's wife, Lori. That's our son Carl." The boy gave me a grin.

"Thank y'all." I nodded. "I jus' can't believe I found him..."

"Dixon?" A blonde girl appeared, along with the one who had been barking questions at Glenn the previous day.

"Yea." I shook my head. "Never thought I'd see 'em 'gain."

"I thought so too, about him." Lori nodded at Rick.

"We found him before I found you." Glenn said, giving me a grin.

"I'm Andrea, and this is my sister Amy." The older blonde said, giving me a sincere look. "It's good you found him. He's going to need you."

"About Merle." I turned to look at Rick. "I wanna go."

"You don't look so up to it." Rick argued with a soft voice.

"I'll be fine." I mumbled, walking away from them. Shuffling to my tent, I ducked inside, grabbing my ribs at the pain. Sitting down for a minute, I tried to process the bits and pieces of information I had heard. _Merle trapped up on a roof. In the city... Handcuffed to a pipe..._ Feeling anger boiling up inside of me, I stood from the tent and walked back toward the RV.

Everyone seemed to be ready to go, and I walked over to the moving van they had parked facing the dirt road. Lori gave me a pleading look, almost as if she wanted to say something, but she kept quiet. Leaning a bit, I breathed at the pressure it took off of my aching ribs. Glenn was sitting in the passenger seat, when I saw Daryl appear beside him. Honking the horn, he yelled "Come on, let's go!" Walking around the van, I stopped at the back of it.

"What the hell ya think ya doin'?" Daryl growled, standing over me from the edge of the moving van.

"I'm goin'." I said surely, holding my arm out. "Help me up."

"Like hell ya are!" He snorted. "Ya stayin'."

"I wanna go." I pressed.

"Ain't in no shape. Ya stayin'." Daryl's voice was hard. Cold.

"Daryl-" I tried to argue.

"Ya stayin'!" He yelled, pulling down the back of the van. The door came down, cutting me off from him. Stunned, I stalked around the side of the moving van.

"Hey, Evelyn?" Rick cut me off, nearly making me jump out of my skin. I looked up at him in silence. The sheriff shifted his weight, and gave me a look caught somewhere between a friendly smile and a smirk. "He's right. Rest up, you really ain't in any shape to go runnin' off with us into the city."

"Who'er you to tell me what I am?" I growled. "Better keep him safe, an better find Merle. That's all I'm sayin'." With that, I turned away from him and walked back toward my tent. But I stopped when I heard the van rolling away, and I watched it go down the quarry dirt road.

A million things were running through my head as I entered the tent I had been put in the day before. Looking around, I saw my bag in the corner. Snatching it up, I rummaged through it. My knife and my handgun were gone. _Shit..._ I looked around for the shotgun. Nothing was propped around inside the tent. The only thing in my bag was my photo album, my diary, and the few items I had found scavenging.

Storming out of the tent, I felt rage boiling up inside of me. _How they jus' gonna take my shit? What if we get attacked? Hell I'm s'posed to do then? _I marched down toward the RV, looking for any signs of life. I heard the kid's voices, and I looked over to see the sheriff's son and about three or four other kids playing with Dixie. _Good, she needs kids to play with._ My temper was calming down as I walked around the side of the RV.

"Whoa!" Shane reached out and bumpered me from running into him. "I was bout to go lookin' for you. Figured you'd want these back, huh?" He handed me my knife, then my handgun. I took the knife and stuck it in my boot, then shoved the handgun in the arch of my back, snug in my jeans.

"Thanks." I mumbled as he handed over my shotgun last.

"We jus' had to make sure, ya know." He tried to reason with me. I nodded.

"Understand." I said quietly, looking back toward the kids. Lori was standing nearby, eyeing Shane. Then she'd look at me, then look away. Feeling self concious, I turned away, walking back toward the tent. I stopped suddenly, and looked back at Shane. "Thanks, 'gain."

"No problem." Shane held up a hand. Deciding that I needed to be alone for a little while, I grabbed my photo album from inside the tent, and climbed up on a large rock. I could see the sisters fishing out in a boat. Looking down at the photo album, I took a deep breath, and flipped open the book. I already knew what picture would be first, but it still made my stomach roll.

There I was, sixteen, sitting up on the gate at our farm. Daryl was sitting beside me, smirking at the camera. The sun was setting behind us to our left, causing a slight glare. Mama had just cut his hair that afternoon, and it was a little shorter than he expected. I had loved it, and forced him to take a picture with me. Mama was behind the camera, telling him, "Daryl Dixon, you best smile for me while I'm takin' this picture!" And I'm trying not to die laughing, you can see it all over my face. That picture held one of the biggest smiles I'd ever given to the world.

I flipped the picture over to reveal two more. The first one was Daryl and I on Nirvana. He had practically forced me to ride with him that day, telling me that, "Only one way for ya two to get along, gotta ride 'em." I had been petrified, just knowing he was gonna buck us both off. But no, the ride had been smooth, even fun. Daryl had rode us down to the creek and back, jumping a fence along the way. It had been the most fun I'd ever had riding.

"Take a picture of this, ain't ever gonna see nothin' like it 'gain!" Daryl had teased, but of course, Mama had taken him up on the offer. Daryl wasn't a picture person, so when Mama seized the opportunity, she took it without question. My face was a little sunburnt, my eyes looked bright blue, full of happiness. The smile I had plastered on my face was obviously trying to mask the fear of that damn horse. Daryl was just laughing.

Squinting in the sun light, I could see the boys' truck in the background. Out by the fence, just up the driveway, their usual parking spot. I could see Merle standing in the bed of the truck, he must have been working on something when the picture was taken. My eyes darted over to the other picture, and I felt something inside of me crumble. My eyes watered at the sight, and I wanted to close the photo album, and throw it.

It was Mama, Merle on her right, Daryl on her left. They were standing in the kitchen, Merle was looking right at the camera, his face surprised. Daryl was pointing at me, his face warning me that I was going to get it later. Mama had her head thrown back, laughing at the two of them. She looked so beautiful, but the image of her I couldn't forget was the one I never wanted to remember. I only saw her as a walker.

The picture reminded me that she had been real, she had been Mama... But it also reminded me that she was gone forever, and that had been on me. I had killed her. I had shot her, not once, but twice. The final shot to the head had been the end. No more Mama. No burial, no service, no help, no fixing her. She had tried to tear me apart, so I had shot her in the head. I didn't even think that maybe, there would be help somewhere out there...

"What if there's a cure?" I asked myself, shaking my head. I stood from the rock, and jumped down. Walking back toward the camp, I saw the girls walking up with enough fish to feed an army. Lori, Carl, Carol, and Jacqui were looking up as the girls walked closer with the fish. I saw a man, I had heard them call him Morales, walk up.

"Hahaha, will you look at that? Hey, check it out! Ha ha ha!" Andrea handed him the fish. Lori gave them a few claps, and I smiled. "Ladies, because of you, my children will eat tonight. Thank you."

"Thank Dale." Andrea replied. "It's his canoeing gear."

"Mom, look!" Carl's face lit up, and I saw Jacqui give Andrea a high five. "Look at all the fish!" Morales held the fish closer to Lori's face.

"Thank you." Lori grinned, ducking away, laughing.

"Whoaa." Carl stepped forward to poke at them.

"Yea, whoa. Where'd you two learn to do that?" Lori asked, looking at the fish.

"Our dad." Amy smiled, drinking from her water bottle.

"Can you teach me how to do that?" Carl asked, his eyes lighting up again.

"Sure! I'll teach you all about nail knots and stuff.. If that's okay?" Amy looked at Lori.

"You won't catch me arguing." Lori replied. Amy looked over at me, and down at my hand.

"What's that?" She asked, her eyes curious.

"Oh, it's uh-"

"Hey Dale!" Andrea cut me off, asking Dale about his fishing reels as he walked up.

"I, uh... I don't wanna alarm anyone." I saw Shane stand up as Dale spoke. "But we may have a bit of a problem." He pointed back the direction he had came from. Standing on my tip toes, I could make out one of their group, up on the hill. It looked like he was shoveling...

I didn't want no part of whatever it was that was going on. I sat down at the camp, watching the others go on toward the hill. My brain was ticking, wondering if Daryl was okay. Glenn. I worried about them. Even the sheriff and the idiot that dropped the key. They went back for Merle, for Daryl, and that was asking a lot in this world. Anyone else would have left him to die, not take that huge risk of getting killed in the city.

_Daryl, Glenn... Please be aight!_ I silently prayed, though I wasn't sure what I was praying to. The world going to shit was enough to shake anyone's faith, but surely if the dead could come back to life, there was a God. Still, I constantly asked myself what kind of 'God' would let something like this happen. I stood up, walked over to the tent, and ducked inside.

I could hear the mumbles of the group talking, as I layed on my back. The climbing on that rock had flared up my rib pain, and it was pounding. I could hear it pulsing through my ears as I layed there, looking up at the tent. It kept getting worse, and finally, I sat up. If it was going to get better, I needed to move. Taking it slow, I exited the tent.

Walking up the hill, I saw the guy that had been digging. He was tied at a tree, just sitting against the trunk. Like he could go anywhere. But it wasn't my problem, and I wasn't going to make it my problem. Keeping my mouth shut, I walked past the man, and on up the hill. The kids were surrounding Shane, who was cleaning the fish that the girls had caught. Carol and Lori were sitting to my left, so I walked over and sat down beside them.

"So where'd you come from? Glenn said he found you on the interstate. Sound like you're from around here." Lori gave me a friendly grin. I didn't like story time, but I decided to play along. After all, these people did save me. Help me out.

"I was in trouble." I admitted. "Grew up here in Georgia... But was in Tennessee when the world went to shit. My roommate an' I... Drove this way. But she... She an' I split up. She went lookin' for her family. I went lookin' for mine." I looked over at the kids, who were grinning, helping Shane clean the fish. Dixie was all in the middle, trying to get bits of fish that Shane or the kids dropped.

"Your friend loves the kids." Lori smiled at my dog.

"Yea, she's a good dog. Daddy had'er locked up in my room so the geeks couldn't get at'er. Snatched 'er up an' left the farm I grew up on. Tried to get into the city, Daddy left me a note sayin' to find a refugee camp... Guess there ain't none, huh?" I looked at the ground.

"Not that we've found." Lori's face was sad for a moment. "But we'll find something. Here's fine for now."

"How do you know Dixon?" Amy asked, walking over and sitting beside me.

"Oh, Daryl... He was my first love, high school sweet heart. Ya know. First heart break." I joked.

"Really?" Lori gave me a huge grin.

"Honest." I put my hand over my heart. "Grew up with him an' Merle."

"Wow... Glad you two found each other. I'm sure they'll have Merle back here before dark." Amy assured me.

"He's gonna be madder an' hell, too... Maybe he'll cheer up when he sees me." I grinned. "Ain't seen that dimwit in years..."

"Years?" Andrea gave me a sideways glance.

"Well, after Daryl an' I called it quits-"

"Broke your heart." Amy corrected with a smile.

"Yea, after he broke my achy breaky heart," I joked, though it did still sting, "I moved away. Went to New York for a month, dance school. Said "screw that", an' headed back down south to Tennessee. Got an apartment, got Railey, an' got a job. Volunteered at a local hospital. Then this started, an' we got the hell outta dodge."

"Railey?" Andrea asked.

"Roommate." I replied. "We split up, she headed toward 'Bama. I went back to the farm I grew up on. Got Dixie. We ran into some men, not good guys either. Not like y'all. That's how I got banged up. Heard this awful chirpin' sound, figured it was my best chance. Took it, an' ya boy Glenn saved my ass."

"Well, I'm glad he did." Lori spoke up. "I see you carryin', and I think it's good to have people that know how to use weapons. You grew up on a farm, you are already a great asset to this group."

"Thanks." I mumbled, not sure how to take her compliment. She gave me a grin. Relaxing, I sat back and watched Shane make a fire. The fish were soon being cooked, as it grew darker and darker. The smell of fish made my stomach growl.

Soon, we were all sitting around the fire, eating fish dinner. God, it was something else. I felt as if I hadn't eaten in years. Carl asked his mom to pass him the fish, and I just grinned, happy that we actually had good food. I wasn't sure how long it had been since I had eaten anything besides beans. Taking another bite, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the flavor.

"Man, oh man. That's good." Shane mumbled, eating his fish. "I miss this." I nodded in agreement, when I realized my bag was at my feet, and inside was my photo album.

"I gotta ask you, man." Morales looked up at Dale. "It's been drivin' me crazy."

"What?" Dale smiled.

"That watch." Morales pointed at Dale's wrist. Dale began inspecting his watch, looking up with a grin still plastered on his face.

"What's wrong with my watch?" Dale asked.

"I see you, everyday, same time..winding that thing, like a village priest saying mast." Morales teased.

"I've wondered this myself." Jacqui gave a sweet smile.

"I'm missing the point." Dale played along.

"Unless I've misread the signs, the world seems to have come to an end." Jacqui said, looking at Dale with a smile. "At least hit a speed bump for a good long while."

"But there's you," Morales spoke up again. "Everyday, winding that stupid watch."

"Time. It's important to keep track, isn't it?" Dale held out his hands in a shrug. "The days, at least... Don't ya think, Andrea? Back me up here!" He teased. She laughed.

"I like, I like what, uh, the father said to the son when he gave him a watch. Said it had been handed down from generations. Said, "I give you, the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me. I give it to you, not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it. For a moment, now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it... Heh?" Dale looked happy with his answer. Everyone seemed to take a moment to let that sink in.

"You are so weird." Amy teased, and everyone laughed.

"It's not me, it, it's Faulkner. William Faulkner. Maybe my bad paraphrasin'." Dale smiled.

"Hey, Amy.." I scooted closer to her, pulling my photo album from my bag. "Ya asked 'bout this earlier... Here." I handed it to her.

"No way! A photo album?" Amy opened it up. "Oh, my.. God..." She giggled at the first picture, before flipping the page. "You had a horse?"

"That horse hated my guts.." I laughed. Andrea scooted closer, and her eyes widened.

"Is that _Dixon_?" She grabbed the book and looked harder at the picture. "It is!"

"He's gone kill me for this.." I muttered, shaking my head.

"That must be your mom..." Amy trailed off. "You look jus like her... Merle looks different."

"He looks happy." Andrea agreed. Lori and Carl had come over and sat closer to see the pictures.

"You do look like your mom." Lori smiled. I tried not to show any sadness.

"The boys were good kids." I changed the subject. "Merle was jus' rowdy at times, but he worked harder an' anyone I knew. Him an' Daryl, both." I said, as Amy handed the photo album back to me, and stood up.

"Where you going?" Andrea asked, looking up at her little sister.

"I have to pee.. Geez, you try to be discreet around here." Amy teased. We laughed, and Lori looked back down at my photo album.

"What's this one?" She asked, looking at the picture.

"Oh, Lord... That's from the night of my prom. Before Daryl an' I got together. Look at 'em all sulkin' in the picture. He'd never admit it, but he was mad I had a date... Worst night of my life." I mumbled, shaking my head.

"What, why? Proms are supposed to be the best!" Lori laughed, and I shook my head.

"Prom date was a jerk. Tried gettin' frisky, an' when I denied him, he got pissed. Dropped my ass out on the road an' left me. Had to git Daryl to come get my dumb ass." I shook my head. "We were jus' a couple of kids..."

"We're out of toilet paper?" Amy called from the RV, then I heard her scream. Looking up, I saw a walker beside her, biting into her arm.

"SHIT!" I yelled, dropping my book, and grabbing my gun from my jeans. Everyone jumped up, and began screaming.

"MOM!" Carl's terrified voice screamed in my ears.

"CARL!" Lori's voice.

"GET DOWN!" The yelling, Shane began firing, and I followed his lead. I made my way toward Shane with Lori and Carl, and I turned toward her.

"KEEP HIM BEHIND US!" I screamed over Shane's gunfire.

"FOLLOW ME!" Shane yelled. I could hear screaming, and I thought I heard Andrea. I kept firing with Shane, trying to keep the walkers away from Carl and Sophia. Dixie was on my heels, staying close to the kids and me. Suddenly, I heard yelling, and more gunfire. It was Rick and the others, it had to be.

I saw Rick, then Glenn appear from the brush, shooting walkers down. Daryl and T-Dog appeared, doing the same. Everything inside of me dropped, when Merle didn't come into view. They kept shooting walkers, making their way toward us. Shooting the last couple down that were in immediate sight, Rick came toward us, kneeling to Carl.

"DAD!" He screamed, running to his father.

"Carl." He grabbed his son with relief. Lori was crying, hugging them both. My hands were shaking, and before I could look around, Daryl was in my face. His hands were on the nape of my neck, looking me over. His eyes searching over my body for bites, scratches.

"Yer okay?" He growled out the question. I couldn't speak, I just shook my head. I grabbed his arm, and looked into his eyes.

"Merle?" I asked. He shook his head. "Oh, God.." Tears came to my eyes.

"He ain't dead, Ev'lyn." Daryl shook his head. "We jus' didn't find 'em. We will."

"Yea." I nodded. "You... Okay?"

"Nothin'." He nodded. "Sure you ain't got no scratches..." He began looking me over, pulling up my shirt. I let him, his hands rough against my skin.

"I'm good." I said surely. Daryl nodded, looking around. I heard sobbing, and I turned to see Andrea leaning over Amy's dead body.

"Oh no, oh my God!" Andrea was wailing. "AMY! AMY! AMY!" I couldn't move, and I was still holding onto Daryl's arm.

"I remember my dream now." Jim said. "Why I dug the holes."

* * *

**Holy shit that chapter was a sad one to rewatch... Well, you got to see and hear a little more in Evelyn's past. I am so excited for this story, I am LOVIN working on it. 'In My Veins' is next to be updated, hopefully today or tomorrow. So be on the look out.**

**Oh, all of my gamers in the house throw ya hands up ! I have a game I highly RECOMMEND. I never thought I'd love something as much as I LOVE the Walking Dead, but I found something that ties with it. The Last Of Us... It had a GREAT concept, AMAZINGGG story line, and I absolutely fell IN LOVE with the characters Joel and Ellie. I highly suggest if you like Walking Dead, buy this game ! You won't regret it.**

**Thanks always to my amazing reviewers/followers/favoriters/READERS ! YOU GUYS ARE SO AWESOMEEEE ! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Happy New Year !**

**~Kaila G.**


	6. Chapter 6

The sky turned dark blue, to light blue, as the sun came up that morning. I sat on a rock by my tent, watching the sun rise from beyond the hills of the quarry. Something about the sun rise took me back, past this world... Past my old life back in Tennessee. Back to a time when everything was right in the world, and the only worries I had were the farm's daily chores.

I sat on the fence of our farm, the sky still dark blue. Stars barely twinkled, and I held my cup of coffee close. I could see my breath in the cold, crisp morning air. But that didn't bother me. I shivered slightly, waiting for the sun to make its first appearance. The sky was lightening up to a light blue in the distance, and I knew it wouldn't be long. Not long at all.

"Freezin' out here, Ev'lyn. What the hell ya doin'?" Daryl's voice caught me off guard, as I turned on the fence to see him walking up. He had a thermos in his hand and I gave him a smirk.

"Sun rise." I said quietly, turning back toward the horizon.

"Sun rise?" Daryl asked flatly, as if he didn't believe what he was hearing.

"Coffee'll keep ya warm. Come on." I nodded my head at the gate.

"Yer fuckin' crazy." Daryl mumbled, walking over to the gate and handing me his thermos. He climbed up and sat beside me, taking his coffee back.

"Oh, really?" I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Tellin' me you ain't ever did this before?"

"What sixteen year ol' girl comes out in thirty degree weather, jus' to watch the sun rise?" Daryl snorted, taking a swing of his coffee.

"Me?" I asked quietly, looking him in the eye. Daryl just stared at me for a moment, and I thought how nice it was to get lost in all of that blue.

"Yer different, aight." He mumbled, and I laughed.

"Different's good." I grinned, taking a sip of my own coffee. He chuckled, and I gave him a gentle shove.

"Look." Daryl pointed over to the light blue in the sky. The first rays of sun were peeking over the landscape. "There's what ya been waitin' on."

"Beautiful." I muttered, watching the slowly rise.

"Different, aight." Daryl said, but his tone was soft, almost affectionate. I didn't say anything, just scooted a little closer to him on the fence. The silence was nice, comfortable. We watched the sun come up over the horizon.

* * *

And just like that, I was back. The sun was showing bright, the heat coming down on me like a ton of bricks. Sighing, I stood from the rock, and jumped down. My feet hit the ground with a soft _thud_, and I spun on my heels, walking toward the RV. When I came around the side, I veered off, staying clear of Andrea. She was still knelt down beside Amy's body, just staring at her dead sister. My gut wrenched as I walked over toward the others.

"She still won't move?" Rick was walking up at the same time I was. Lori gave me a pained look, as she turned her head toward her husband. Dale was shaking his head 'no', and Carol was just watching Andrea.

"Won't even talk to us." Lori mumbled sadly. "She's been there all night. What'd we do?"

"Can't jus' leave Amy like that." Shane spoke up. I glanced at him, his face filthy. We all were, but Shane just looked... Almost sad. "We need to deal with it. Same as the others."

"I'll tell her how it is." Rick said, walking toward Andrea. He walked over, and started to kneel beside her. "Andrea.." I saw her arm extend, her gun in his face.

"Back off, Rick." I whispered, pulling my gun from my jeans. Andrea must have said something, because Rick held up his hand, walking backward. I heard him say "I'm sorry.", softly as he walked backward toward us. Hearing footsteps, I looked up to see Daryl with a pick axe in his hands.

"Y'all can't be serious! Let that girl hamstring us.. The dead girl's a time bomb!" Daryl growled.

"What'd you suggest?" Rick asked, obviously open for suggestions.

"Take the shot." Daryl demanded. "Clean in the brain. From here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance!"

"Daryl!" I glared at him.

"No." Lori spoke up, her eyes on Andrea. "For God sakes, let her be."

"Pfft." Daryl huffed, walking away. Shaking my head, I sat down beside Lori and Carol. Rick and Shane looked skeptical, worried.

"She'll be aight." I said, causing them to look at me. "She'll do it, when the time comes. Let'er. Her sister, her right... She wants that burden, best let'er have it."

"Y'ALL LEFT MY BROTHER FOR DEAD!" I heard Daryl yelling. I jumped up. "YOU HAD THIS COMIN'!"

"Shit!" I growled, jogging toward his voice.

"Evelyn?" I heard Carol call my name.

"Let her go." Shane. _Thanks._ Jogging toward Daryl, he turned to see who was running up on him.

"Daryl-" I started, grabbing his arm.

"Don't!" He snarled, jerking away from me. Tilting my head sideways, I recoiled from him, cutting my eyes.

"No, you don't git to do that!" I snapped, and I saw others looking at us from the corner of my eye. "I lost 'em too."

"He was my brother." Daryl said coldly.

"An' that makes my hurt any less?" I asked, lurching forward. My palms hit his chest hard, shoving him. "Ya dumped me off, an', an'.. HE WAS STILL THERE!" I was screaming, tears forming in my eyes. "YOU DIDN'T CARE 'BOUT ME ANYMORE, BUT HE STILL DID!"

"STOP!" Daryl yelled, grabbing my arms. "Ev'lyn-"

"NO!" I jerked away. "No..." I shook my head, turning to walk away from him.

"A walker got him! A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui called out, her voice full of fear. Daryl and I looked at each other, then ran up toward the hill, everyone else following.

"Show it to us!" Daryl said, his voice strangely calm. Everyone seemed to be talking all at once, when Jim grabbed the shovel. T-Dog snuck up behind him, grabbing his arms, keeping him still. Daryl ran forward, pulling up his shirt, revealing the wound on his side.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay." Jim kept muttering. "I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay... I'm okay... I'm okay." I watched in horror, not sure how this was going to end. Rick stepped forward, and led Jim over to the RV, asking him to sit. Then, it was the group up for discussion, and I stood beside Daryl. Listening to the suggestions on how to deal with Jim.

"I say we putta pick axe in his head. An' the dead girl's, an' be done with it." Daryl growled, and I looked at him, probably something resembling horror on my face. This was not the Daryl I remembered.

"That'd what you want? If it were you?" Shane asked.

"Yea, an' I'd thank ya while ya did it." Daryl was being honest.

"I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl's right." Dale spoke up, looking sad.

"Jim's not a moster, Dale. Or some rabid dog." Rick argued.

"I'm not suggesting that at all-"

"He's a sick, sick, man. We start down that road, where do we draw the line?" Rick kept his point valid.

"Line's pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers. Or the 'to be'." Daryl said surely.

"What if we can get 'em help?" Rick asked. "I heard the CDC was workin' on a cure."

"CDC?" I asked, suddenly feeling hope in my gut. _Railey... _

"I heard that, too." Shane nodded. "I heard alotta things 'fore the world went to hell."

"What if the CDC's still up and running?" Rick asked, looking at Shane.

"Man, that it a stretch right there." Shane's voice was calm, but firm.

"Why?" Rick asked. "If there's any government left, any structure at all, they'd protect the CDC at all costs. Wouldn't they? I think it's our best shot. Shelter, protection-"

"Rick, you want those things, all right? I do too, okay? Now, if they exist, they're at the Army base. Fort Benning." Shane said surely.

"That's a hundred miles in the opposite direction." Lori's voice was lined with worry.

"That is right." Shane agreed. "But it's away from the hot zone. Now, listen to me, if that place is operational.. It'll be heavily armed. We'd be safe there."

"The military were on the front lines of this thing, they got overrun, we've all seen that!" Rick argued. "The CDC's our best choice, and Jim's only chance."

"You go lookin' for asprin, do what ya needa do." Daryl started toward Jim with the pick axe. "Somebody needs to have some balls an' take care of this damn problem!" He was raising the axe, and Rick was right behind him, gun pointed at his head.

"DARYL!" I was already at his side. "STOP!" I grabbed my gun, pointing it at Rick.

"We don't kill the living." Rick said, his eyes on mine. Shane came around, his gun drawn, his eyes watching me.

"S'funny. Comin' from a man who jus' put a gun to my head.." He turned toward Shane. "Don't ever point nothin' at her ever 'gain, you got that?"

"We may disagree on some things, but not on this. You put it down, go on." Daryl slammed the pick axe down and walked off. Shane looked at me. "Sorry."

"Gotta watch out for him, he ain't got no one from keepin' some idiot from blowin' his goddamn head off." I muttered, shoving my gun into my jeans, and walking away. Figuring we couldn't stay here anymore, I stormed off to my tent, ducking inside. I grabbed my bag, and began packing my things away.

"Where's my..." I trailed off, remembering just hours before, the camp fire. The fish dinner. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I winced at the pain in my ribs. I grabbed my shotgun, and ducked back out of the tent.

"Tent's yours." Glenn appeared beside me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, not sure how to feel about anything.

"Here." Glenn held out his hand. My photo album.

"Thank you." I said quietly, taking the book from him. I reached behind me, partially unzipping the bag. Shoving the book inside, I zipped it back up.

"It must be nice.." Glenn's voice was soft, almost sad.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Having those pictures, having Daryl... I wish I knew sometimes... About my friends, family.." He shrugged.

"Maybe it's best ya don't." I whispered, shrugging.

"Maybe." Glenn replied, and a noise made us both turn. I could see Amy's body moving clumsily. Her hands were grabbing at Andrea's face and hair, trying to get a good grip on her. Something inside of me broke for Andrea, and I began to doubt her suddenly. I could see Rick and Shane approaching, reaching for their guns. It looked as if Andrea was talking to Amy, and I feared she might get bit if she didn't hurry and shoot her. Her hand moved to the side of Amy's head, and I could make out the gun in her hands. The loud _pop_ rang through my ears, and Amy lay still.

I dropped my head, looking down at the ground. Sighing, I walked over to my tent, and began taking it down. Making sure everything was wrapped up tight, I secured it, and set my stuff down by the RV. Dale was helping Andrea move Amy's body, and I felt sick. Following behind the group, I watched Daryl climb into the truck, and back up onto the hill where the bodies were being buried.

"I still think it's a mistake, not burnin' these bodies." I could hear Daryl as we all walked up. _Here we fuckin' go..._ "It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all. Isn't that the idea?"

"At first." Rick replied calmly.

"China man gits all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we jus' follow 'em along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here. What the rules are."

"There are no rules." Rick was losing his patience, and I could tell.

"Well, that's a problem. We haven't had one minute to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn, and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." Lori said, her face caught between sadness and anger. I walked over to Daryl, just keeping quiet, as Andrea dragged Amy's body toward a grave. Dale reached out to help, but Andrea stopped him.

"I can do it, I can do it!" She cried, pulling Amy down into the hole. "I can do it! I can do it..." Lori was crying, and the kids were as well. I felt tears in my eyes, but I blinked them back, swallowing hard. Once the graves were full, we left the site, and walked back down to the camp.

Andrea fell asleep, Rick and Shane went off into the woods. I sat beside Glenn, neither of us saying a word. Morales had a small fire burning, and everyone was sitting around, silent. Lori was making a spear from a stick, the kids were just sitting in silence, staring into the fire. I felt his presence, and I glanced over to see Daryl walk up beside me. He looked down at me, and gave me a slight raise of his eyebrow. I just looked back at the fire, when I saw Rick and Shane walking up with Dale.

"I've, uh..." Shane sat by the fire. "I've been thinkin' about Rick's plan. Now, look, uh..no guarantees. Either way, I'll be the first one to admit that. I've known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. I say the most important thing here is, we need to stay together. So, for those of you who agree, we leave first thing in the mornin'. Okay?"

I sat by the fire, refusing to move. I didn't want to think, I didn't want to sleep. I just wanted to sit still, and gaze into the fire. Before I knew it, darkness had enveloped the world, and the stars were shining bright in the black sky. Daryl walked over, and put out the fire, turning to stare at me in the darkness.

"Ev'lyn?" His voice was gruff, but something about it was soft.

"Daryl." I mumbled, not moving.

"Come on, girl." He held out his hand. I hesitated for a moment, before taking it. He pulled me to my feet, and led me over to his and Merle's old beat up pick up truck. "Git in, git some sleep."

"Where you goin'?" I asked, opening the door.

"Bed." He mumbled, hopping into the back of the truck. Shaking my head, I almost smiled, as I climbed into the truck. Almost.

* * *

I awoke to a tapping noise. Opening my eyes, I sat up quick, seeing Daryl's face at my window. For a moment I had forgotten where I was. Taking a breath, I opened the truck door and climbed out. Not bothering to say anything, Daryl nodded for me to follow him, so I did. Everyone was sitting on cars or standing around, waiting for Rick and Shane to speak.

"All right everybody, listen up!" Shane announced. "Those of you with CB's, we're gonna be on channel forty. But let's keep the chatter down, okay? Now, you gotta problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal, anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?" I noticed Daryl rubbing his sleepy face. _Reminds me of back when..._

"We're, uh... We're not going." Morales spoke up, and I looked at him in shock.

"We have family in Birmingham." His wife said. "We wanna be with our people."

"You're on your own, you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane tried to reason with the family.

"We'll take the chance." Morales responded firmly. "I gotta do what's best for my family."

"You sure?" Rick asked, his face falling a bit.

"We talked about it." He glanced at his wife. "We're sure."

"All right." Rick nodded. "Shane?"

"Yea?" The two men mumbled as they dug through their police bag. Rick grabbed a hand gun and walked over to Morales. He handed the gun over, Shane right behind him with ammo.

"Box is half full." Shane handed over the bullets.

"Pfft." Daryl disapproved. The family said their "thank you's" and "goodbyes", with the children crying, everyone hugging.

"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Shane looked at Rick with a concerned face. "Come on, let's go! Let's move out!" Everyone began filing into vehicles. I watched Carol and Sophia climb into Rick's vehicle, and I felt comforted that the two kids had each other. _Jus' a couple of kids..._ I felt sad suddenly.

"You comin' or what?" Daryl growled, opening his driver side door to the pick up.

"Yea." I said quietly, jogging over to the RV, I snatched up my stuff. Throwing my tent into the back of the truck, careful not to hit the motorcycle, I walked around to the passenger door. Looking up, I saw Glenn in the passenger seat of the RV. He gave me a slight wave, and I waved back. Jumping into the truck, I dropped my bag in the floorboard and shut my door.

We were off, following a trail of vehicles, I watched as Morales' car veered to the right, his hand waving at us from the driver side window. A pang of sadness went through me, and I didn't know why. _Hell, I ain't even know the man.._ Daryl glanced at me, then back at the road as we made our way off the quarry gravel road and onto the paved highway. I looked out of his window, silently saying goodbye to our temporary home.

* * *

**Anddddd that's chapter 6 ! Now we're off to the CDC ! Hmmmm... what will be in store for our favorite group of ZA survivors ? I have no ever lovin idea ! In all seriousness, maybe we'll see more of their past together. Maybe.**

**I would like to say I APPRECIATE the REVIEWS/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS/READS 100% ! You guys are FRICKIN AMAZING ! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I am working on updating 'In My Veins' now !**

**Thanks so much yall !**

**~Kaila G.**


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl was quiet. I kept glancing over at him as we rode along, and his eyes stayed glued to the road. Watching for anything that could jeopordize us. Looking ahead, I saw the break lights of the vehicle in front of us, followed by a horn. Daryl pulled over behind the others, and turned to face me. His eyes were tired, his face almost blank. But that tough look was still plastered on his face, as it had been for as long as I'd known him.

"Stay here, gonna see what's goin' on." He mumbled gruffly, before exiting the truck. Craning my neck out of the window, I could barely make out the others ahead. I saw Dixie running toward Daryl, as he walked closer to the front, his hand reaching down to touch her head. Sighing, I looked out a the woods around us, feeling vulnerable.

They were taking a while, and I contemplated leaving the truck. Instead, I opened the dash console, looking for any sign of CD's. My heart began to thump a little faster when I saw the small, black CD case. 'I love you' was written in metallic gray sharpie on the front, with a little heart beside the 'you'. I knew that case like the back of my hand, and the shock of it still being in Daryl's possession had me thrown for a loop.

"Ev'lyn, they... What'er you doin'?" Daryl's voice made me jump.

"I... I was hopin' you'd have some CDs... Still keep this?" I couldn't look up at him, even though I had to ask.

"Never cleaned that damn dash out." He said coldy. I said nothing, just stared down at the book. "They're leavin' Jim. He says he can't handle the ride. Wants to stay here 'an turn."

"Okay..." I nodded, still staring at the book. I was expecting Daryl to say something else, but when I finally forced myself to look up, he was already halfway back to the rest of the group. I could see them sitting Jim against a tree, and everyone made their rounds of 'goodbye'. Daryl just stood at a distance, giving Jim one last look, before turning back toward the truck. I heard him whistle, and Dixie came running after him.

Once to the truck, he opened his door, and Dixie jumped into the middle. She immediately licked my cheek, and I grabbed her head, kissing her nose. Daryl caught my eye as he sat down in the driver seat, shutting his door. He patted her on the head, and when the group began driving off, I looked over at Jim. He was looking up at the sky. _Bye Jim..._

"Can I?" I looked over at Daryl, the case still in my lap.

"Ev'lyn-" He sounded skeptical of the idea, his voice on the verge of annoyance.

"Please, I jus' need some music." I looked over at him, eyebrows raised in question.

"Hn. What the hell. Why not?" Daryl shrugged and I grinned. I could feel him looking at me as I took out the first CD, and popped it into the CD player. I could hear it spinning, loading. That CD player was ragged out.

The tune hit my ears, and I leaned my head against the seat, the breeze from my window hitting my face. I had listened to this song with Daryl and Merle many times, and the memories it brought to my head made me smile lightly. I could see their faces, back in times when we were all three connected at the hip. Just some happy kids.

_"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? For I must be traveling on now, 'cause there's too many places I've got to see." _I looked over at Daryl, who refused to look at me, staring ahead at the road in front of us. _"But if I stayed here with you, girl, things just couldn't be the same. 'Cause I'm as free as a bird now, and this bird you cannot change."_

* * *

It was fall, and I had been working on the farm all summer, saving every penny I earned. Walking down the stairs, my wallet in hand, I headed for the front door. Outside, I walked straight to the barn, where I could hear Merle laughing obnoxiously. Stepping into the barn, Daryl saw me first, the look on his face warm. Merle must have notice the change of expression, because he whipped around, giving me a grin.

"Merle, I need'a borrow ya truck!" I announced. He burst into laughter.

"In your dreams, Katie-E!" He snorted. My hand went to my hip, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious! It's important!" I pleaded, giving him my best puppy dog face.

"That shit ain't gonna work on me, girly." Merle shook his head. "Hell no."

"Please! Ya ain't gonna regret it!" I gave him a huge grin. Merle looked over at Daryl.

"What ya think, little brother?" Merle asked.

"Hell, let'er. I wanna see what she's gonna do." Daryl said, looking back over at me.

"You fuckin' wreck my shit, Imma kill you." Merle said very seriously. He tossed me the keys.

"YES! Thank you!" I spun on my heels, making a mad dash for the truck before he could change his mind. Jumping into the truck, I drove to the closest car audio shop, which was just inside the city. I paid up, and sat inside while they installed the CD player. After what felt like forever, I had finally been able to jump back into the truck and drive back home.

When I pulled down the driveway, it was almost dark. I could see the porch light shining brighter than the sun, and the boys on the porch stairs. As soon as I pulled up to the house, Merle was up and stomping over to the truck, the look of death etched all over his face. He looked pissed, and burst into laughter as he slung open my door.

"The hell you been?" Merle practically yelled.

"Hey! Chill the fuck out!" I hissed. "Look!"

"Chill the fuck out? We thought ya done wrecked, or worse-" Merle suddenly stopped talking when I pointed at the new CD player. He looked at it, then at me, then over at Daryl. I could tell Daryl was trying not to laugh at Merle's outburst, despite his worried eyes. I guessed I really did give them a scare. "You did that?"

"Well, no. I ain't no mechanic, ya kn-" I got cut off by Daryl.

"Ya bought it, what he meant." Daryl said.

"I know, jus' teasin'! Geez, why so serious?" I asked, hopping out of the driver's seat.

"Why?" Merle asked, cutting his eyes at me. I punched his arm.

"'Cause I git tired of listenin' to them damn cassette tapes!" I joked, giving him a smile. "Plus it's cool, right?"

"Yea, yer aight." Merle laughed, giving me a playful shove. "Still thought ya were dead! Ya damn daddy woulda killed me if somethin' had happened to you!"

"I say we throw'er in the pond." Daryl growled, and Merle's face lit up.

"HEY!" I screamed, running toward the porch. I could hear them chasing me. "WAIT! I JUS' BOUGHT Y'ALL A..." I was suddenly over Daryl's shoulder. "GODDAMN CD PLAYER! PUT... ME... DOWN DARYL DIXON!"

* * *

"Ev'lyn." Daryl's voice made my eyes pop open. The music hit my ears, as I sat up, looking out of the window. It was dim outside, starting to get dark.

_"I never really wanted you to see, the screwed up side of me that I keep, locked inside of me so deep. It always seems to get to me. I never really wanted you to go, so many-" _Daryl cut the engine, and the truck was silent.

"We made it..." I whispered, looking up at the big building. "Right? This's it?"

"Yea. This's it." Daryl smirked. "Stay close." He opened his door, and I grabbed my bag before opening mine. Once Dixie jumped out, I shut the truck door quietly, before walking behind Daryl. I could see Glenn and Jacqui, then Dale. The buzzing of flies was loud in my ears, as I surveyed the area, seeing all the dead bodies of walkers. The smell was awful, and my eyes watered as I coughed and reached for my gun.

Rick and Shane were whisper yelling at us to "Come on" and "Stay together!", as we got closer to the building. Everyone was whispering warnings as we neared the building, and I looked around for Dixie. She was on the other side of Daryl, keeping close to both of us. Once we reached the building, Shane and Rick began trying to get inside. The echoes of Shane trying to open the shutters was loud in my ears.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog said, and I glanced at Daryl.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick countered.

"WALKERS!" Daryl called, and I whirled around to see them coming. Daryl took one out before turning on Rick. "You led us into a graveyard!" And the arguing began. All I could hear was yelling and fussing, the kids crying, Dixie was barking. Shane was yelling at Daryl to shut up, and Daryl turned toward me. "DIXIE! SHUTTUP!" He hissed, and she stopped barking.

"Rick, this is a dead end!" Shane said, and I looked at Lori.

"Where're we gonna go?" Carol cried, holding onto Sophia.

"Do you hear me?" Shane asked Rick. He said something else, but I didn't catch it because Lori snagged my attention.

"She's right! We can't be here, this close to the city after dark!" Lori was panicking.

"Fort Benning, Rick. Still an option." Shane said surely, but Rick just kept staring at the CDC building.

"On what?" Andrea huffed. "No food, no fuel, it's a hundred miles!"

"A hundred and twenty five, I checked the map." Glenn mumbled.

"Forget Fort Benning! We need answers tonight, NOW!" Lori was practically yelling. Carl looked terrified, as he cried, hanging onto his mother's arm.

"We'll think of something." Rick said, trying to calm his wife down. Shane began ushering everyone away, telling us to get back to the cars.

"Come on!" Daryl grabbed my wrist.

"The camera, it moved!" Rick said, and I froze, stopping Daryl.

"You imagined it." Dale suggested, sounding worried.

"It moved." Rick said surely, walking toward the shutters. "It moved." Shane began trying to convince Rick that it was automatic, and the next thing I knew he was trying to pull Rick away from the shutters. Lori began screaming at Rick that nobody was here. Rick began yelling at the camera. Everyone was yelling as Shane tried to drag Rick away.

"YOU'RE KILLIN' US!" I heard Rick screaming at the camera. "YOU'RE KILLIN' US! YOU'RE KILLIN' US! You're killin' us!" Shane swung Rick toward us, and I felt Daryl pulling my wrist. And then a noise made me freeze again, and a bright light blinded me. I couldn't think for a moment, as the shutter lifted, and everyone just stopped. Everything stopped. Time may have even stopped, if it hadn't already.

"Go!" Daryl pushed me forward.

"DIXIE!" I yelled, and she was at our side.

"I got'er, go!" Daryl growled, and I ran forward with the others into the building. My gun was drawn as we walked forward.

"Hello?" I heard Rick call out. "Hello?"

"Watch those doors! Watch for walkers." Dale.

"Hello!" The sound of a gun being loaded made us all look to the right. I saw a man standing in the shadows, a pretty big gun in hand. "Anybody infected?"

"One of our group was." Rick admitted. "He didn't make it."

"Why are you here, what do you want?" The man asked, stepping closer. _Way to be blunt._

"A chance." Rick replied quietly.

"That's askin' an awful lot these days." The man stepped closer.

"I know." Rick agreed.

"You all submit to a blood test, that's the price of admission." The man reasoned.

"We can do that." Rick nodded. The stranger lowered his gun.

"You got stuff to bring in, you do it now." The man instructed. "Once this door closes, it stays closed." The guys ran back out, grabbing everything we had left out in the vehicles. I had grabbed my bag and my handgun, but my shotgun was still in the back of Daryl's truck. They made it back inside, and I let go of Dixie's collar.

"Friendly?" The man asked.

"She's good." I breathed, as he walked over to a pinpad looking gadget on the wall.

"Vi, seal the main entrance." He said. "Kill the power up here." I saw Rick step forward.

"Rick Grimes." He stuck out his hand.

"Doctor Edwin Jenner." He said, not taking Rick's hand. "This way." He led us to an elevator, and we crammed inside. Dixie sat between Carl and Sophia, and I was squished between Daryl and Glenn. Daryl's arm was just behind my back, I could feel it against my shirt. His shotgun was right beside my face, causing me to lean into him slightly. I could feel his breath ticking my ear.

"Doctors always go 'round packin' heat like that?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, there were plenty left lying around, I familiarized myself... But you look harmless enough." Dr. Jenner smirked, then looked at Carl. "Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you." He teased, and Carl gave him a slight grin.

The elevator came to a stop, and the doctor stepped out, leading the way. We walked along a hallway, all white walls. The place looked like a five star hotel, despite the reality of what it really was. It was bright, and the place smelled clean. Not like the camp, not like outside, not like dead bodies and rotting flesh. It smelled _clean._

"Are we underground?" Carol asked.

"You claustrophobic?" Jenner turned to look at her.

"A little." Carol admitted.

"Try not to think about it." Jenner offered, turning back around as we walked on. "Vi, bring up the lights in the big room." The whole room lit up suddenly, and I squinted at the brightness of it. "Welcome to Zone Five."

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked, following him farther into the room. "The other doctors, the staff?"

"I'm it. It's just me here." Jenner replied.

"What about the person you were speakin' with?" Lori asked curiously. "Vi?"

"Vi, say hello to our guests." Jenner commanded. "Tell them... Welcome."

"Hello guests. Welcome." A woman's robotic voice echoed through the room.

"I'm all that's left." Jenner said again. "I'm sorry... Now about the blood tests. This will take a few minutes."

"I could help." I offered. "Volunteered at a hospital before the world went to shit."

"Can you draw blood?" Jenner asked.

"I'd rather not." I admitted. "Imma good labeler, though."

"Perfect. Come with me." He instructed us to follow him to another room. He sat everyone down once he had the syringes, and one by one, the members of the group got their blood drawn.

"What's the point?" Andrea asked as he took her blood. "If we were infected, we'd all be running a fever."

"I've already broken every rule in the book lettin' you in here. Let me just, at least, be thorough." Jenner said, taking the sample from her arm, and making sure her bandaid was secure. "All done." He mumbled quietly, as I labeled Andrea's name. She stumbled at bit, and Jacqui grabbed her.

"Whoa, whoa..." Jacqui.

"You okay?" Dr. Jenner asked.

"She hasn't eaten in days. "None of us have." She sat Andrea down as Daryl walked up and sat in the chair. He looked at me as Jenner tied his arm, and stuck the needle in his vein. Just as quickly as he had started, it was done, and Daryl stood.

"Wait." I mumbled, after writing his name on the blood sample. Everyone seemed to be staring at us, as I stood awkwardly, and sat in the chair. Daryl stood beside me as Jenner took my blood. When he finished, I stood, and Daryl grabbed my arm when I wobbled a bit.

"Come on." Jenner waved for us to follow him. He led us to a big table, and we all sat down, while he prepared food. The smell made my stomach growl, and I wanted to eat more in that moment than ever before in my life. Once the food was finished, the wine appeared, and everyone began to relax. Before long, the room was filled with laughter as everyone joked and drank. Dale was talking about kids drinking wine in Italy and France, and I laughed at the look on Lori's face.

"Well, and when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then." She said, taking a sip of her wine.

"What's it gonna hurt, come on!" Rick played, his face lit up with a smirking grin. "Come on!" Everyone began laughing again as Dale poured a little bit of wine into Carl's cup.

"Here ya are, young lad." Dale handed Carl the cup. Carl was smiling as he took a sip, then his face changed. I saw Rick chuckle.

"Ewww!" Carl sat the cup back down, his face disgusted.

"That's my boy. That's my boy." Lori said, and the room filled with chuckles and laughs. Carl shook his head.

"It tastes nasty." He mumbled, as Rick tusseled his hair.

"You, uh, should stick to soda pop, there bud." Shane agreed.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl was walking around the table. Glenn looked up, a cheesy grin on his face.

"What?" He asked, grinning big.

"Keep drinkin' little man. I wanna see how red yer face can git!" Daryl sneered, bottle in hand. I burst into laughter as Glenn brushed Daryl off. The _ting, ting, ting_ of glass made me look up to see Rick standing.

"Seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Rick looked at Dr. Jenner.

"He is more than just our host." T-Dog raised his glass. A coo of 'yeas' went around, and I raised my glass.

"Booyah!" Daryl called, and I heard an echo of it from across the table.

"Thank you." Rick said, and Jenner took a sip of his drink.

"So when you gonna tell us what the hell happened here, Doc? Hm?" Shane asked, and the room became silent. "All the, uh, the other doctors. They were s'posed to be figurin' out what happened. Where are they?"

"We're celebratin', Shane." Rick sounded annoyed. "No need to do this now." He sat back down beside Carl.

"Oh, but wait a second. This's why we're here, right? This was your move, s'posed to find all the answers. Instead we, uh, we f-we found him. Found one man. Why?" Shane pressed.

"Well, when things got bad, a lot of people just..left. Went off to be with their families... And when things got worse, when the military got overrun, the rest bolted." Jenner explained.

"Every last one?" Shane asked, skeptical.

"No." Jenner admitted. "Many couldn't face walkin' out the door.. They..opted out. There was a rash of suicides... That was a bad time."

"You didn't leave." Andrea spoke suddenly. "Why?"

"I just kept workin'. Hoping..to do some good." The doctor said quietly.

"Dude, you are such a buzz kill, man." Glenn complained, shooting Shane a glare. And that ended dinner. I stood from the table, taking my plate to the sink. Jenner led us out of the kitchen area, down another hallway, but not before I snatched a bottle of wine.

"Most of the facility's powered down, including housing, so you'll have to make due here. Couches are comfortable, but there are cots in storage if you like. There's a rec room down the hall that you kids might enjoy." Jenner turned to look at Carl and Sophia. He leaned down to them. "Just, don't plug in the video games, okay?" He said something I couldn't quite hear, then he leaned back up and looked at us. "Same applies. If you shower, go easy on the hot water."

"Hot water..." Glenn's face was lit up.

"That's what the man said." T-Dog grinned. My bag felt heavy on my shoulder as I wandered down the hall, into an empty room. The couch folded out, and though small, it looked comfortable. Letting my bag drop to the floor, I dug through it for clean clothes. Opening the bottle of wine, I took a swig, and walked over to the room's bathroom.

Walking into the bathroom, I dropped my clothes on the sink, and looked at the shower head. _You look nice._ I smiled and pulled off my shirt. Undressing quickly, I grabbed the bottle of wine from the sink counter, and stepped into the shower. The hot water hit me, and I felt as if I had been thrown into another world. Relaxing, I took another swig from the bottle, tilting my head under the water.

I thought about Mama suddenly, and I tried to shoo the thought away. Then Merle popped into my head. Here I was, drinking wine, taking a hot shower... And my mother was dead, God knows where Daddy is, or Merle for that matter. Daryl never told me exactly what had happened, and the guilt of this place being so wonderful, felt overwhelmingly unbearable.

The first sob was loud, and I quickly drank from the bottle to shut myself up. I put my hand out, my palm flat against the shower wall, supporting my weight as I tried to get myself together. I heard a noise, and I looked over my shoulder, but didn't see anyone. Turning back toward the wall, I hung my head, taking a deep breath.

I felt hands. Not just any hands, hands that I had known for a very long time, snake around my waist, and pull me close. Skin to skin, and his lips were on my ear, kissing me softly. I turned in his arms, pushing myself away from him. Those blue eyes, though cold, looked questioningly at me. Maybe even a little hurt.

"Yer drunk." I shrugged. Handing him the bottle.

"Ain't drunk, 'an neither are you." Daryl growled, reaching out again. I let him pull me in, and I put my arms around his neck.

"I can't." I cried.

"We've been this way many times 'fore." He said. He wasn't getting it. I sat the bottle down in the corner of the shower.

"Not you!" I backed away, turning toward the shower head again. "Here! Can't be here... It ain't right... Merle... Mama.."

"Stop, Ev'lyn." Daryl shook his head.

"What happened? In the city?" I asked, looking up at his face.

"Didn't find 'em." Daryl replied, shifting his weight.

"Daryl." I shook my head. He just turned, and started to step out of the shower. "Wait!" I lurched forward, grabbing his arm. I pulled him back in. "I gotta tell you somethin'... Gotta git it off my chest."

"What?" That hard tone surprised me a little, but I had to say the words to someone, or I felt is if I might explode.

"I killed her." I swallowed hard. Daryl said nothing, his face confused. "Mama... I killed her." It was like a tidal wave. "God, Daryl." I breathed, letting out a sob. "I killed her, I killed her! I KILLED HER!" I screamed, and he grabbed me again.

"Shh. Stop, Ev'lyn." His hand was tangled in my wet hair.

"I shot'er." I whispered against his chest. "Daddy left a note, sayin' not to open the basement. That he'd gone to find the doctor. What'd I do? Opened the fuckin' basement door... There she was. One of them things... I tried to make her stop, Daryl. I tried! She jus kept comin'... I shot'er..."

"Shouldn't have happened to ya." Daryl's voice was quiet. "M'sorry." Something inside of me snapped. All the things I'd ever wanted to say to him, came to my mind. Maybe it was the alcohol, but I didn't know.

"Sorry? Ya wanna be sorry now?" I growled, stepping away from him. He cut his eyes at me, and I laughed. "YOU LEFT ME, DARYL! YOU BROKE MY GODDAMN HEART!"

"I didn't love you anymore!" Daryl yelled back.

"Yea, yet yer in my fuckin' shower!" I snarled.

"I'm sorry 'bout ya Mama, I loved her, too. But yer right. I am drunk, 'an I jus' wanned some." He said coldly.

"FUCK YOU!" I turned and grabbed the bottle of wine. He was already out of the shower, grabbing up a towel and his clothes. I chunked the bottle at him, missing him completely and it hit the wall, glass breaking. I sat down against the wall of the shower, my knees to my chest. "I still love you."

Trying to shake it off, I finished my shower quickly, and dried off. Dressing, I left the bathroom, and walked over to the couch. Sitting down, I leaned toward the floor and grabbed up my bag. Digging through it, I felt what I was looking for. The letters from Merle were folded together in one envelope. Opening the envelope, I took the first one out, and unfolded the paper.

_Katie-E_

_Things ain't been the same without you. Don't really know why I'm writing you, but maybe it's because I cared about you a lot. Care about you. You are like my little sister, and I know that things ain't ever gonna be the same. But hell, if they weren't, then it'd be boring all the time. Right? _

_Okay that was a dick thing to say. I'm really sorry for what my little brother did. But sometimes people don't have a choice. They're just doing what they think is right. Making things easier. That ain't in our nature, but sometimes people don't have a choice. I know this might not make sense now or ever, but I don't want you thinking that he didn't love you. He did. He does._

_That boy mopes around like a sick puppy these days. He hangs around Dad more often, which I don't think is good, but what can I say? He is our daddy dearest. Your dad saved me from a life of trouble, but we'll see how long that lasts. I think I won't be here long. I gotta watch out for my baby brother, and the military don't allow me to do so._

_Hope you're doing good, girly. Don't do nothing stupid._

_I'm sorry._

_Merle._

I had read that letter a million times, but somehow, tonight the words hit me harder than ever before. I didn't understand what he meant at all. _Sometimes people don't gotta choice? What's that even mean? He chose to break up with me, break my heart. He made that choice on his own. He stopped lovin' me... _I sat the envelope back in my bag, but left the letter by my pillow. Grabbing my photo album, I turned out the light by the couch, and closed my eyes.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but I didn't know.

* * *

**So there's that. I promise eventually things will be okay with Daryl and Evelyn, but not for a while. Their past calls for a rocky future, and there's still much to learn about these two. The reason he broke up with her will come out soon enough, and then everything will make sense. I feel bad for both of them, and the more you learn about their past, the worse it will get for them emotionally. Daryl will improve, though. Maybe !**

**Thanks for all the AMAZINGGGGG support for this story ! Every review/read/follow/favorite is so amazing to me ! And if you haven't read 'In My Veins', check it ! **

**I love 'Torn', though, because of all the baggage between Daryl and Evelyn, and how it affects them. I am excited to see where this goes ! Thanks guys !**

**~Kaila G.**


	8. Chapter 8

_I was sitting on the front porch, watching Daryl. He had been distant the last few days, and I wondered if I had done something. He never acted this way before, even Merle had been unusually quiet. Truthfully, I was starting to worry that something bad had happened. Little did I know, I was about to find out that night._

_"Ev'lyn, we needa talk." Daryl said gruffly, as he walked up to where I was sitting._

_"Somethin' wrong?" I asked, standing up. He just nodded his head for me to follow him, as he turned away. We walked down to the pond, and I looked out at the water. The moon was just rising in the sky, the reflection lighting up the whole farm._

_"Things ain't workin' out." Daryl blurted out, looking out at the water._

_"What'd ya mean?" I asked, whipping my head over to look at him. My heart began beating fast, and I felt sick._

_"Us... S'what I mean." Daryl said, his voice like ice._

_"What? Daryl, we're fine." I stepped toward him, and when he stepped back, I stopped. He kept looking out at the water, and I moved forward again, wrapping my arms around his waist. "What's goin' on?" _

_For a minute he didn't say anything. All I could hear was the June bugs, frogs, and crickets loud around us. His body moved against me as he breathed, and I could feel his heart thudding loudly in his chest. Looking up, I realized he was still looking out over the water, when he suddenly stepped away from me, holding out his arms as a barrier._

_"It's over, aight?" Daryl's voice was unsure, and he kept his eyes on the ground._

_"What'er you sayin'? Why?" I shook my head in confusion. "I don't git-"_

_"I don't love ya anymore, Ev'lyn!" He yelled. I said nothing, just stared at him in disbelief. It was like my heart was being squeezed in his hands, I couldn't breathe. _

_"You look me in the eyes, Daryl!" I walked up to him, my face close to his. "Look me in the eye, 'an say it, 'cause this ain't-"_

_"I don't love you anymore." He growled, staring me straight in the face. "I don't wanna be with you."_

_"I gave you everything..." I stepped back._

_"Take it back!" Daryl yelled, his eyes angry._

_"I can't jus' take it back!" I screamed. "I fuckin' love you! How could you do this? After everything... Everything."_

_"It was fun. Yer a great time... But it ain't what I want." He said coldly._

_"A great time? You loved me... Didn't you?" I felt the tears._

_"Ain't doin' this." He mumbled, walking away._

_"NO!" I screamed, running up to him and pushing him hard. "YOU DON'T GIT TO JUS' WALK AWAY!" He stumbled a bit, then kept walking._

_"Yea, I do." He mumbled._

_"It's 'cause of what happened, ain't it? Daryl, that ain't my fault!" Tears were streaming down my face. "I still hurt over it mys-"_

_"It ain't 'bout that, Ev'lyn. It's 'bout us. It's over. Jus' stop." Daryl said, never looking back at me, as he walked away._

_I ran. Past him, past the barn. I ran back up to the house, up the back porch stairs, and into the kitchen. Mama was washing dishes, and when I flung open the back door, it hit the wall with a huge BAM! Mama looked up at me, and I saw Merle sitting at the table, waiting on Daryl._

_"Evelyn?" Mama's voice kick started me back into reality. Ignoring her calling my name, I ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into my room. Slamming my bedroom door shut, I locked it, and collapsed on my bed. The tears just seemed to pour from my eyes, and I couldn't stop sobbing. Wailing. _

_Knocks on my bedroom door were ignored, as I curled into a ball, and cried myself to sleep._

* * *

My eyes opened, and I remembered where I was when I felt air hitting my face. Daryl was sitting on the edge of the couch at my feet, the little light beside me on. He had Merle's letter in his hand, just staring at the paper. Looking up at me, he lifted his hand. I was so mad at him, so angry, I didn't want him in the same room with me. But yet, I couldn't ask him to leave.

"Never understood what he meant. "Sometimes people ain't gotta choice." Yea." I sat up, my photo album falling on the floor. I saw Daryl look down, and something flashed in his eyes that looked to me like hurt.

"Sometimes they don't." Daryl said quietly, setting the letter back on the couch. Dixie came into the room, jumping onto the couch with me.

"What happened? In the city." I kept my eyes on his face, wanting the truth.

"Dumb bastard cut his hand off. Lost his trail, ran into some trouble. Came back to camp." Daryl explained bluntly.

"Jesus..." I muttered, trying to process what he had just told me.

"Thought ya went to New York, how'd ya git home?" He asked suddenly, and I shrugged.

"Went to New York, ain't stay long. A month, before I freaked the fuck out an' left. Moved down to Tennessee, met Railey, an' that's where I was." I threw the covers off, and swung my legs over the couch. Daryl stood with me, reaching out for my arm. I pulled away. "Don't..touch me."

"Jus' lemme talk to you." He said quietly. "Didn't mean those things. A lot... I didn't mean."

"A little too late?" I asked, walking away from the couch.

"Maybe it is." His voice was cold again, and when I turned around, he was gone. Sighing, I left my room and walked into the kitchen, Dixie on my heels. Everyone was already seated, and I saw Daryl walk past Jenner, who told us to follow him.

"What's goin' on?" I asked Andrea, who looked worried.

"Jenner wants to show us something." She replied blankly, and I walked behind her into the big room with the others. Glancing over, I saw Shane, who had scratches along his face and neck. _Weird..._

"Give me a playback of TS-19." Jenner said to his computer.

"Playback of TS-19." Vi repeated, the big screen coming to life with movement.

"Few people ever got a chance to see this." Jenner announced. "Very few."

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked, and I watched the screen with fascination.

"An extraordinary one." Jenner replied, and something in his voice tore my eyes away from the big screen to look at him. His face almost looked sad. "Not that it matters in the end.. Take us in for EIV."

"Enhanced Internal View." Vi said, the test subject's brain growing larger on the screen as it zoomed in. The brain was lit up, almost an aqua color, bright lights dancing all around. Shimmering inside of the brain like water from the ocean on a bright day. The screen showed the brain even farther in depth, and it looked like millions of strings lit up blue, flashing around the brain.

"What'er those lights?" Shane asked, and I noticed Daryl close to me. I stepped over to him, leaning on the counter with him. He looked over at me, his eyes curious of the screen in front of us.

"It's a person's life. Experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is you. The thing that makes you unique. And human." Jenner explained.

"You don't make sense, ever?" Daryl asked, his arms crossed.

"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages. They determine everything a person says, does, or thinks from the moment of birth..to the moment of death." The doctor explained again.

"Death?" Rick asked, walking forward. "This what this is? A vigil?"

"Yes." Jenner replied. "Or r-rather the...playback of the vigil."

"This person died?" Andrea stepped forward, staring at the screen. "Who?"

"Test subject nineteen." Jenner said quietly. "Someone who was bitten, and infected. And volunteered to have us record the process. Vi, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." Vi responded, and the brain stem was black, the blue and aqua lights surrounding it dimming.

"What is that?" Glenn's voice I heard, but I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen.

"It invades the brain like meningitis." Dr. Jenner began explaining the process as we watched the screen. The brain blackened, as Jenner made it clear that the person had died. "Everything you ever were, or will be..Gone."

"Is that what happened to Jim?" I heard Sophia ask.

"Yes." Carol answered her daughter with a strong voice. Andrea was crying, and I noticed Jenner looking at her.

"She lost somebody two days ago." Lori said, her voice sad. "Her sister."

"I lost somebody too, I know how devastating it is." Jenner tried to offer some comfort. "Scan to the second event."

"Scanning to second event." Vi said, and I looked back at the screen.

"The resurrection times vary wildly, we have reports of it happening in as little as three minutes." Jenner explained. "The longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient, it was two hours..one minute..seven seconds." The brain began to sparkle at the stem with bright red lights.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori sounded shocked, in disbelief.

"No, just the brain stem." Dr. Jenner said. "Basically it gets them up and moving."

"But, they're not alive." Rick stepped closer.

"You tell me." Jenner held his hand out toward the screen.

"It's nothin' like before." Rick said surely. "Most of that brain is dark."

"Dark, lifeless. Dead. The frontal lobes, the neo cortex, the human part. That doesn't come back. The you part. Just a shell, driven my mindless instinct." Jenner said, his voice I couldn't read. Suddenly, something appeared over the head, and it tore through the brain. It was like..._ They shot the patient..._

"God, what was that?" Carol asked, her voice shaky.

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea still sounded blank. "Didn't you?"

"Vi, power down the main screen and the work stations." Jenner commanded.

"Powering down main screen and work stations." The area hummed lowly as the machines powered down.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked.

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic." Jenner offered. "Fungal."

"Or the wrath of God." Jacqui spoke up.

"There is that." Jenner mumbled.

"Somebody must know something." Andrea said, stepping forward. "Somebody, somewhere."

"There are others, right?" Carol asked. "Other facilities."

"There may be some. People like me." Jenner replied.

"But you don't know? How can you not know?" Rick asked.

"Everything went down." The doctor said. "Communications, directives, all of it. I've been in the dark for almost a month."

"So it's not just here." Andrea sounded defeated. "There's nothing left anywhere. Nothing. That's what you're really saying, right?" Dr. Jenner said nothing, and I felt like the room was suffocating me.

"Jesus.." I heard Jacqui whisper.

"Man, I wanna git shit faced drunk. Again." Daryl walked over to another counter, resting his head on his hands. I walked over to him.

"Aight?" I asked, and I could hear Dale talking behind us.

"Yea." Daryl nodded, and I turned back toward the others.

"That clock." Dale pointed, and I looked over. _Noticed that too, huh? _"It's counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The... The basement generators, they run outta fuel." Jenner replied, turning away.

"And then?" Rick asked, his face changing dramatically. Jenner just kept walking away. Rick looked around. "Vi? What happens when the power runs out?"

"When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur."

"Oh, shit." I mumbled, looking over at Daryl. Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn left to explore the generator room. I went back to my room, and sat on the couch. None of this could be good. I stuffed my things into my bag, and zipped it up, throwing over my shoulder.

"Emergency lighting on." Vi's voice hit my ears. I felt nothing, and I looked up at the vent above my head. The air was off, and the lights in my room. Daryl came into my room with a bottle in his hand. He offered to me, and I took a swig, before handing it back. I could hear Lori and Carol, so we walked to the doorway, seeing Jenner walking through.

"Why's the air off?" I heard Lori ask.

"A-And the lights in our room?" Carol was right behind her. Daryl leaned out of our doorway as Jenner was walking by.

"What's goin' on? Why's everything turnin' off?" Daryl asked, and Dr. Jenner snagged the bottle from his hands.

"Energy use is being prioritized." Jenner replied.

"Air isn't a priority?" Dale asked from the end of the hall.

"An' lights?" Daryl asked, as we walked behind the doctor.

"It's not up to me." Jenner said. "Zone Five is shuttin' itself down."

"Hey!" Daryl yelled, following him. "Hey, what the hell's that mean? Hey, man! I'm talkin' to you! What'd ya mean it's shuttin' itself down? How could a buildin' do anything?"

"You'd be surprised." Jenner muttered, and I heard footsteps.

"Rick?" Lori called down, leaning over the railing. We followed Jenner down the stairs, and Rick was behind him immediately.

"Jenner, what's happening?" Rick asked.

"The system is dropping all the non-essential uses of power." Jenner walked, and Rick followed. "It's designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second. It starts as we approach the half hour mark. Right on schedule." Jenner took a drink from the bottle, before handing it back to Daryl, who snatched it away. "It was the French."

"What?" Andrea asked.

"They were the last ones to hold out, as far as I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in that hallways, they stayed in the labs 'til the end. They thought they were close to a solution." Jenner walked up the steps.

"What happened?" Jacqui's eyes looked sad.

"Same thing that's happening here. No power grid. Ran outta juice. The world runs on fossil fuel. I mean, how stupid is that?" Jenner asked, and for a second, I wondered if he was losing it.

"Let me tell you something-" Shane went up the stairs after Jenner, and Rick was right behind him.

"To hell with this, Shane!" Rick grabbed him. "I don't even care! Lori, grab our things, everybody get your stuff. We're gettin' outta here, NOW!" I turned on my heels, when suddenly alarms began going off. I squinted at the loudness of it in my ears, and looked around for Daryl. He caught my eye, and I looked up at Jenner.

"Thirty minutes until decontamination." Vi announced.

"Everybody, y'all heard Rick! Get your stuff and let's go! Go now! GO!" Shane yelled. I turned and began jogging with the others, when suddenly the big door shut. I turned to look at the shut door, frozen where I stood.

"Did you jus' lock us in?" Glenn asked, his face on the verge of panic. "HE JUST LOCKED US IN!"

"Carl!" Lori's voice caused me to turn and see Carl running to her.

"MOM!" His little voice was terrified. I looked at Daryl.

"I don't wanna die in here." I said, panicking. "Daryl!" I grabbed his arm. His eyes locked on mine, and that blue wasn't such a bad last thing to look at. Daryl snatched away from me and ran up the stairs.

"YOU SON'OFA BITCH!" He yelled, and he was about to jump on Jenner.

"SHANE!" Rick called, and Shane ran after him. "SHANE!" T-Dog helped Shane grab Daryl, holding him away from the doctor. I ran up the stairs.

"Keep him calm!" T-Dog yelled, and I grabbed Daryl's arm. He stayed still.

"Jenner, open that door, now!" Rick came charging up the stairs.

"There's no point. Everything topside is locked down." Jenner informed. "The emergency exits are sealed."

"Well open the damned things!" Daryl snapped.

"That's not something I control. The computers do. I told you, once that front door closed, it wouldn't open again. You heard me say that..." Jenner looked around, then back at Rick. "It's better this way."

"What it? What happens in twenty-eight minutes?" Rick looked at Shane, who kicked Jenner's chair. "WHAT HAPPENS IN TWENTY-EIGHT MINUTES?" Dixie began barking.

"YOU KNOW WHAT THIS PLACE IS!" Jenner yelled back. "WE PROTECTED THE PUBLIC FROM SOME VERY NASTY STUFF! WEAPONIZED SMALL POX! EBOLA STRAINS THAT CAN WIPE OUT HALF THE COUNTRY! STUFF THAT YOU DON'T WANT GETTING OUT! EVER!" I still had my hand on Daryl's shirt, as he paced. "In the event of a catastrophic power failure, a terrorist attack for example, HIT's are deployed to keep any organisms from getting out."

"HIT's?" Rick asked.

"Vi, define." Jenner instructed.

"HIT's, High Impulse Thermobaric fuel-air explosives consist of-" I lost her there, when I heard "explosives". _We're gonna burn... Oh God.._ I looked at Daryl, who's face was angry. I didn't see a hint of fear, only anger. Rick was hugging Lori and Carl. Carol was crying, holding onto Sophia.

"It sets the air on fire." Jenner said quietly. "No pain. An end to suffering, grief. Regret. And everything."

"Daryl." I grabbed his shoulders. "I love you, Always did.. Still do." I was whispering, trying to blink back my tears. "Maybe this's best..." He tore away from me and ran down the stairs, over to the big door. Throwing the bottle, it shattered into a million pieces.

"OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" He yelled, walking back toward us. Dixie was right beside him, her ears perked up. She knew something was up.

"OUTTA MY WAY!" Shane barked, running toward the door with an axe. The axe hit the door hard, bouncing off. T-Dog threw another axe to Daryl, who began trying to chop through the steel. The kids were crying, Carol was crying. Jenner was speaking, but I just drowned him out, listening to the axes hit the steel.

"Easier for who?" Lori growled.

"All of you." Jenner replied softly. "You know what's out there. A short, brutal life and agonizing death. Your, your sister.W-what was her name?"

"Amy." Andrea said quietly.

"Amy.. You know what this does. You've seen it. Is that really what you want for your wife and son?" Jenner looked at Rick.

"I don't want this." Rick said surely.

"Who'er you to make this choice for us?" I asked, and Jenner looked at me with something that resembled sadness.

"Can't make a dent." Shane mumbled, leaning on the counter.

"Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher." Jenner said.

"Well, yer head ain't!" Daryl swung back the axe, and Dale went to grab him.

"DARYL! DARYL!" Rick and T-Dog jumped in to stop him. "Back up! Back off!"

"You do want this." Jenner stood, looking at Rick. "Last night, you said, you knew it was just a matter of time before everyone you loved was dead."

"What, you really said that?" Shane asked. "After all your big talk?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick was speaking to Lori.

"There is no hope!" Jenner kept on. "There never was."

"There's always hope." Rick argued. "Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here. But somebody, somewhere."

"What part of everything's gone do you not understand?" Andrea asked, her voice angry.

"Listen to your friend. She gets it." Jenner advised. "This is what takes us down. This is.. Our extinction event." He sat back down.

"This isn't right!" Carol cried. "You can't just keep us here."

"One tiny moment, a-a- a millisecond, no pain." The doctor tried to convince her.

"My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!" Carol cried.

"Wouldn't it be kinder? More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?" Jenner asked, and I heard a shotgun click.

"SHANE!" Rick lurched forward. They were yelling and Shane pushed Rick aside.

"Open that door, or Imma blow your head off. DO YOU HEAR ME?" Shane yelled.

"Brother, brother this is not the way you do this. We'll never get outta here." Rick was at his side.

"Shane, you listen to him!" Lori called.

"He dies-" Rick started and Shane screamed. "We all die!" The gunshots were loud as Shane began shooting at the computers. I felt something pull me backwards, and my back was against Daryl's chest as he pulled me away from Shane. Rick wrestled the gun away, knocking Shane to the floor. "You done, now? Are you done?"

"Yea, I guess we all are." Shane growled. Daryl had let me go, and was standing with his head down.

"I think you're lyin'." Rick said, after a few moments of silence.

"What?" Jenner asked, looking back at us.

"You're lyin'." Rick said again. "About no hope. If that were true, you woulda bolted with the rest. Taken the easy way out. You didn't... You chose the hard path. Why?"

"It doesn't matter." Jenner said simply.

"It does matter." Rick walked toward him. "It always matters. You stayed, when others ran. Why?"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner stood. "I made a promise. To her." He pointed at the big screen. "My wife." Something inside of me crumbled for the man.

"Test subject nineteen was your wife." Lori said, staring at the doctor.

"She begged me to keep goin' as long as I could. I... How could I say no?" Jenner said quietly. I could hear the axe again, and I looked over to see Daryl swinging away at the door. "She was dying. Shoulda been me on that table. It wouldn't have mattered to anybody. She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place! I-I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein... Me? I'm, I'm just..Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."

"Your wife, didn't have a choice." Rick held out his hand. "You do. That's, that's all we want. A choice. A chance."

"Let us keep trying as long as we can." Lori pleaded.

"I ain't come this far, fight this hard, to die." I said stepping forward. "Please.." Jenner looked at Rick, and his face changed a little.

"I told you topside's locked down, I can't open those." He walked over to one of the computers and I heard buttons being pressed. The big door opened.

"COME ON!" Daryl yelled.

"Let's get outta here, come on, let's go!" Glenn yelled. I grabbed my bag and took off running behind Carl. Everyone was yelling for the others to come on, and I stood beside Glenn, who had his hands on Carl's shoulders. Rick was still talking to Jenner, who was leaned in whispering something to him. "HEY! WE GOT FOUR MINUTES LEFT, COME ON!" Glenn yelled. I grabbed Glenn and Carl when I saw T-Dog running with Jacqui.

"No, I'm stayin!" Jacqui stopped. "I-I'm stayin' sweetie."

"Look, that's insane!" T-Dog argued.

"No, it's completely sane." She pushed him off. "For the first time in a long time.. I'm not endin' up like Jim and Amy... There's no time to argue, and no point. Not if you wanna get out. Just get out. Get out!" She shoved T away, and grabbed his face. Shane grabbed T, and I felt Glenn pushing me forward. I had Carl's hand, and Daryl was in front of me, running for the room we had first entered.

We reached the front entrance, and the guys were yelling to each other. The keypad was dead, and they couldn't get the doors open. Shane and Daryl were using the axes, trying to break the glass. T-Dog grabbed a chair and began trying to break the big window. I heard Shane reloading his shotgun, and he turned toward the window.

"Dog, get down! GET DOWN!" Shane yelled, and T jumped down. He shot the window, but it didn't shatter. "Jesus.."

"The glass won't break?" Sophia was on the floor.

"Rick!" Carol called, digging through her bag. "I have something that might help!"

"Carol, I don't think a nail file's gonna do it." Shane remarked.

"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform. I found this in your pocket." Carol held out a grenade. Rick took the grenade.

"LOOK OUT!" I ran over to the corner, and Daryl was at my side, shielding me with his body. I heard the pin being pulled, then Rick running. "Ohhhh... Ohhh SHIT!" The explosion went off and my ears were ringing as the glass shattered.

"COME ON, GIRL!" Daryl pulled me up off of the floor, and we ran toward the window. Dixie jumped out, waiting for us to follow. He shoved me through, and all I could see were walkers.

"WALKERS!" I screamed, pulling my gun and shooting. Carl was behind me and I grabbed his hand. We ran over the dead bodies, following Rick and Daryl. I kept shooting, holding onto Carl tight as we ran to the vehicles. "GO, GO, GO!" I ushered Carl into the RV, and ran toward Daryl's truck, Dixie right beside me.

"GIT IN!" He yelled, swinging my door open. Dixie jumped into the truck, and I hopped in beside her, slamming my door shut. I looked up to see Dale and Andrea running for the RV, and Rick began blaring the horn. I pushed Dixie into the floor board, and ducked down onto the middle seat. I felt Daryl laying over me, and then the rumbling began.

It was like the loudest thunder explosion I'd ever heard, as the truck shook. I could feel the heat from the fire as the noise began to drown out, the sound of the building falling apart all around us. Daryl leaned up, breathing hard. I couldn't hear a thing, and I wondered if I was deaf. My ears were ringing loudly, and I leaned up to see what was left of the CDC building. Fire.

The cars in front of us started their engines, and Daryl started the truck, the music starting. _"-things you should have known, I guess for me there's just no hope. I never meant to be so cold." _I rested my head against the seat as we drove off, looking over at Daryl. He glanced at me before looking back at the road.

Fireworks... It was like fireworks all at once.

* * *

I was sixteen, going on seventeen. It was the Fourth of July weekend, and Daddy had bought boxes of fireworks. Boxes and boxes. I was so excited when I saw them, I just knew the night was going to be perfect. Mama was cooking, Daddy and the boys were grilling. I walked outside in my white spaghetti strap shirt, and my blue jean shorts.

"There she is." Daddy called playfully. I gave the three a huge grin and walked up beside Daryl, bumping him with my hip.

"Dixon's cookin'. Who knew?" I teased, and when Daddy turned to laugh, Merle shot me a bird.

"You git any of 'em Roman Candles?" Daryl asked, and Daddy nodded.

"What's the Fouth, without y'all runnin' 'round tryin to kill each other?" He asked, and I laughed.

"Great." I mumbled, walking over to the porch. I dug through the boxes and found a Roman Candle. Snickering, I lit it, and aimed it at Merle's feet. It went off with a thump, and sparks lit up all around his shoes.

"AYE!" Merle jumped back, and I laughed, pointing it at Daryl. He tried to run for the other side of the porch, but I aimed it ahead of him, and cut him off with sparks flying.

"YER GONNA GIT IT!" He yelled, as I aimed the candle at the sky. The sun was just setting, and it was dark enough to see every color light up in the sky. I heard shuffling behind me, and saw Merle digging through the box.

"Shit." I muttered under my breath, as I jumped off the porch and took off running into the yard. I could hear the lighter, and suddenly a million colors bounced around my feet, the heat making me jump. "MERLE!" I yelled, running away from the blast. I ran around the side of the house, my back pressed against the wall. I had to get to the box on the porch.

Sneaking around quietly, my back still pressed against the wall, I reached the first corner of the house. Barely peeking around the corner, I saw nothing. Turning the corner quickly, I began quietly sneaking toward the next corner. Then I would reach the porch. Head down, I moved a little faster, in a hunched down jog. I was getting closer to the corner of the house, when an arm went around my waist, and a hand covered my mouth.

"Shhh... Don't give us away." Daryl whispered in my ear, pushing me against the house. Even through the darkness, I could see his blue eyes shining with mischief. He smirked down at me, before leaning in and kissing me on the neck. Pressing me harder into the house, he kissed my jaw, then my lips quickly. "What would ya Daddy say?"

"He knows 'bout us." I whispered back.

"Yea, but not what I do." Daryl chuckled, kissing me again. I smiled against his lips, but footsteps made us break the kiss quickly. Daryl looked at me. "Prolly Merle comin'." He tossed me a candle. Trying not to laugh, I waited. The footsteps came closer, and just before he came around the corner, I lit the firework and aimed it at the ground where he'd walk.

"What th-" Merle jumped back as Daryl's candle and mine went off, _Thump, thump._ The bright colors lit up, and I aimed a little higher as they went off again. Merle took off back around the corner, and I burst into laughter as Daryl and I chased him. Rounding the corner, I saw Mama and Daddy on the porch, shaking their heads as we chased Merle around the yard.

"All right, all right!" Daddy called. "Time to stop tryin' to kill each other an' get ready for a show, boys... An' my ladies." Mama giggled and I grinned. I looked over at Merle, who walked up beside me and Daryl.

"Whipped." Merle muttered at Daryl, and he punched his arm.

"Children!" Mama teased. Daryl gave her a smirk, which turned into a devious grin. I had always felt like Mama and Daddy looked at the boys almost like their own. Daddy had given them the little cabin he owned on the other side of the road from our farm. It was small, two bedrooms, one bathroom. The kitchen and living room were tiny, combined into one room. But they loved it, and it helped them get away from their dad.

Merle had been in and out of juvy all of his life, leaving Daryl to fend for himself as a kid. But when they got older, Mama and Daddy took them in. Gave them work, gave them a place to stay. The cabin was paid for, they just paid for the electricity and the water. Out in the country, where we were, that wasn't much. Mama often picked them up groceries, and we'd drop it off at the house for them.

Things were perfect. And even though Daddy wasn't too fond of Daryl and I being together, he didn't say anything about it. He let us be. I think that had a lot to do with Mama, who leaned more toward Daryl. Daddy leaned more toward Merle, and everyone could tell. He had been almost like a project, Daddy was determined to help him be a better person, and I think all the time he spent with Merle had created a strong bond between them.

"Let's get to it!" Daddy called from the fronch porch. I went up the stairs, and went inside the house. Running up to my room, I grabbed one of my soft blankets, and ran back outside. Mama had a yellow sheet slung over her shoulder, carrying plates of food and a basket on her arm. Merle handed me two plates, and he grabbed the last two. They were all piled high with ribs and hamburgers. Daddy and Daryl were carrying the fireworks.

The boys had to make three trips with Daddy to get all the fireworks down to the pond area. Mama and I set up all the food on the yellow sheet she had spread out. Inside the basket, I pulled out paper plates and canned drinks. Along with mustard, ketchup, cheese, and pickles. _Geez Mama..._ I smiled at the feast before me. Grabbing a paper plate, I put a couple of ribs on it, and made a cheeseburger. The guys finished setting up the fireworks, just as I finished making the plate.

"Here." I stood as Daryl walked over, handing him the plate. Glancing around to see that Daddy's back was turned, he kissed the side of my head quickly.

"Thanks babe." He whispered, and I felt butterflies, as I sat down between him and Merle. We ate and laughed, as my dad lit the first firework. It thundered loudly when it burst in the sky, shimmers and sparkles of blue and green lighting up the sky. Merle finished eating, and stood to go light some fireworks.

"Awl, hell." Daryl mumbled playfully, and we all laughed as Merle waved Daryl off.

"Shuttup Darylina." He scoffed, and I giggled. Daryl turned and shot me a glare, trying to keep a straight face.

"Come on!" I laughed, jumping to my feet. Daryl sat down his empty plate and stood with me. I gave him a look, nodding toward the house.

"Where ya goin' Kate?" Daddy asked, over the boom of the fireworks.

"It's a surprise! Forgot somethin'!" I lied, grabbing Daryl's arm and running back toward the house.

"The hell we doin', Ev'lyn?" Daryl asked, breathing a little heavy as we reached the porch. I pulled him up the stairs, and into my room. "Yer crazy!"

"For you!" I threw my head back, laughing as I threw my arms around his neck. From my window, I could see the fireworks lighting up in the sky. They lit up my dark room, the colors splashing across Daryl's face. Standing on my tip toes, I leaned up, kissing him. He kissed me back roughly, his hands sliding around to my back, pulling me closer.

"We.. Not now." He said against my lips.

"Now." I kissed him back with wanting.

"Gonna...git...me killed." He broke the kiss, and looked down at me. "God, yer beautiful. An' I want to."

"Then show me." I challenged. Giving one last glance toward the window, he shook his head.

"Better make this quick, 'less ya want my goddamn head blown off." He mumbled, walking me backwards toward the bed. His hands were on my hips and he pushed me back onto the bed, his knee between my legs.

"I love you, Dixon!" I said breathlessly as he kissed me again.

"My girl.." He said between kisses. "Love..you too." I pulled him closer, as he kissed my neck, his hands running over my body.

Yea, it was kind of like fireworks. Fireworks all at once...

* * *

**I know the flashbacks are out of order and all over the place, but that's how I want to portray this story ! I want Daryl and Evelyn's relationship to show that there was A LOT there, and they can't quite let that go, even though they obviously have some issues from the past. I went ahead with showing their break up, because I needed to get that shown and out of the way. I hope you guys enjoy this !**

**EVERY REVIEW/READ/FOLLOW/FAVORITE IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY AMAZING ! You guys truly rock ! 'In My Veins' is doing great, I hope this story gets a big following like my other ! Thanks again guys !**

**~Kaila G.**


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